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THE 


MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR 


CONTAINING 


PRACTICAL    OBSERVATIONS 


CAUSES,  NATURE,  AND  TREATMENT 


DISEASE  AND  LAMENESS  IN  HORSES. 


EMBRACING 

THE    MOST    RECENT  AND  APPROVED    METHODS,  ACCORDING    TO  AN 

ENLIGHTENED  SYSTEM  OF  VETERINARY  THERAPEUTICS,  FOR 

THE  PRESERVATION  AND  RESTORATION  OF  HEALTH. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS. 
By  GEORGE   H.    DADD,  M.  D., 

VETERINARY  SURGEON, 

AUTHOR  OF  ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY  OF  THE  HORSE,  AND  THE  REFORMED  CATTLE  DOCTOR. 

THIRD     THOUSAND. 

BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED   BY  JOHN   P.    JEWETT   AND    COMPANY. 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO  : 

JEWETT,   PROCTOR,    AND    WOETHINGTON. 

1854. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

GEORGE    H.    DADD,    M.D., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED   AT  THE 
BOSTON    STEREOTYPE    FOUNDRY. 


PEEFATORY 


The  author  of  this  work  has  endeavored  to  give  the 
reader  correct  ideas  of  the  nature  and  treatment  of  dis- 
eases occurring  in  that  faithful  servant  and  noble  ani- 
mal, the  horse.  It  is  intended  to  supply  the  wants  of 
that  class  of  agriculturists  and  horsemen  —  and  their 
name  is  legion  —  who  are  in  favor  of  a  more  sanative 
and  rational  system  of  medication  than  that  recommended 
in  many  works  on  farriery.  Such  individuals,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  scarcity  of  competent  veterinary  surgeons, 
are  compelled  to  treat  their  own  horses  ;  and  this 
work  is  intended  to  be  to  them,  in  the  hour  cf  need, 
one  that  will  enable  them  to  restore  the  sick  and  cure 
the  lame. 

The  author  has  aimed  to  be  brief  yet  practical,  and 
has  selected,  eclectically,  from  the  materia  medica,  those 
agents  which  his  own  experience,  during  a  professional 
career  of  nine  years  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  has  proved 
to  be  the  most  efficacious  in  curing  disease  and  lame- 
ness—  so  far   as   medicine  is   capable   of   accomplishing 

1*  (5) 


6  PREFATORY. 

those  objects ;  for  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  medicine, 
unaided  by  nature  in  the  silent  operation  of  the  life 
forces,  is,  in  most  cases,  positively  useless.  Some  knowl- 
edge of  the  law  of  physiology,  as  it  applies  to  brute 
bodies,  is  indispensable  for  the  successful  treatment  of 
disease ;  and  all  who  practise  the  veterinary  art  should 
study  that  law,  not  only  in  view  of  practising  understand- 
ing^, but  for  the  more  important  purpose  of  preventing 
many  thousands  of  unnecessary  cases  of  disease  and  pre- 
mature deaths  that  are  annually  occurring  among  all 
classes  of  live  stock  ;  for  many  diseases  and  premature 
deaths  follow  encroachments  on  the  sanative  laws  of  life. 
The  more  a  man  knows  of  physiology,  the  less  faith  has 
he  in  medicine.  He  resorts  to  our  great  catholicon,  Na- 
ture. Animals,  if  left  to  themselves,  invariably  do  the 
same  thing  ;  they  seek  rest  and  some  simple  agent  which 
their  own  instinct  points  out  as  the  Balm  of  Gilead,  and 
they  almost  invariably  recover,  except  when  about  run- 
ning their  last  race.  The  province  of  the  physician  is  to 
know  when  to  withhold  medicine  ;  for  many  diseases  are 
self  limited,  and  would,  if  the  patient  were  placed  in  fa- 
vorable circumstances,  run  through  their  various  grades 
up  to  a  healthy  termination  without  the  use  of  some  of 
the  trash  styled  medicine. 

Those  who  wish  to  practise  according  to  the  princi- 
ples laid  down  in  this  work  must  learn  to  exercise  pa- 
tience, and  practise  a  rational  expectancy.  Nature  per- 
forms all  her  operations  in  a  series  of  slow  and  gradual 
changes,  and  any  attempts  to  hurry  her  can  only  be 
accomplished  at  the  expense  of  the  vital  principle.  The 
reader   will   perceive  that    the    therapeutic    agents  are 


PREFATORY.  7 

selected  with  an  eye  single  to  their  innoxious  qualities  — 
not  calculated,  like  some  horse  medicines,  to  make  a  "well 
horse  sick,  but  for  the  very  reverse  of  this. 

Health,  however,  must  not  be  supposed  to  exist  in 
drugs  and  physic  balls.  The  sick  animal  must  be  trans- 
ferred within  the  ramparts  of  the  science  of  life,  the 
means  for  accomplishing  which  are  comprehended  in  a 
strict  system  of  hygiene,  and  without  which  medicine  may 
as  well  be  thrown  to  the  dogs  as  given  to  a  sick  horse. 
The  author  considers  it  due  to  himself  to  state  that  he 
still  adheres  to  those  opinions  promulgated  in  former 
works  regarding  the  vile  practice  of  bloodletting,  and  the  use 
of  agents  that  are  known  to  depress  the  vital  principle  ;  and 
his  aim  is,  and  ever  will  be,  so  long  as  he  has  the  power, 
to  substitute  sanative  medication  for  that  which  experi- 
ence has  proved  destructive,  and  to  advocate  the  cause 
of  those  denied  the  power  of  speech  —  unable  to  plead  their 
own  cause. 

If  there  is  credit  following  the  labors  of  the  author 
in  the  cause  of  reform,  he  declines  receiving  it,  for  it  is 
the  property  of  the  profession  at  large.  He  is  indebted 
to  physicians  of  all  ages  and  sects  for  many  suggestions 
and  facts  that  have  illuminated  his  professional  path  ; 
and  he  has  no  disposition  to  see  laurels  placed  on  the 
wrong  brow. 

Some  change  has,  however,  taken  place  in  the  author's 
views  regarding  the  several  medical  sects.  He  was  for- 
merly somewhat  of  a  specialist,  wedded  to  one  particular 
system  of  practice ;  he  now  practises  without  regard  to 
sect,  —  eclectically,  —  selecting  from  the  various  systems 
those  means  and   agents  best   calculated   to  aid,  foster, 


8  PREFATORY. 

and  perpetuate  the  physiological  state,  without  regard  to 
their  origin  or  kind,  or  whether  they  be  mineral  or  vege- 
table ;  reserving  to  himself  the  right  to  reject  every 
process  and  agent  which  militates  against  the  sanatory 
forces  of  the  body. 

It  is  generally  customary  among  authors,  when  sending 
forth  a  book,  to  write  some  sort  of  an  introduction.  We 
propose,  for  once,  to  deviate  from  the  general  custom, 
and  therefore  launch  this  book  into  the  great  ocean  of 
literature  without  any  sort  of  introduction,  preferring  to 
let  it  carve  its  own  way  to  public  patronage  on  its 
merits  alone. 

G.  H.  DADD. 


CONTENTS. 


PRELIMINARY. 

PAGX 

Ox   the  Qualifications   necessary  for  the  Practice  of  Veterinary 

Medicine, 15 

Great  Benefits   derived  from    studying    Comparative    Anatomy 

and  Physiology, 22 

Brief  History  of  Veterinary  Science, 28 

DISEASES    OF   THE   BRAIN  AND   ITS   MEMBRANES. 

Stomach  Staggers, 35 

Sleepy  Staggers 40 

Inflammation  of  the  Brain, 42 

Apoplexy, 43 

Vertigo, 46 

Concussion  of  the  Brain, 49 

Lethargy, 51 

Inflammation  of  the  Arachnoid  Membrane  of  the  Brain, 51 

Remarks  on  and  Explanation  of  Vapor  Bath, 52 

DISEASES   OF  THE    RESPIRATORY  ORGANS  AND  AIR 
PASSAGES. 

Pink  Eye  and  Horse  Ail, 54 

Spasm  of  the  Larynx 58 

Laryngitis, 61 

Inflammation  of  the  Lungs, 63 

Dropsy  of  the  Chest, 72 

Pleuro -pneumonia, 75 

Pleurisy, 76 

Consumption, 81 

Strangles, 88 

(9) 


10  CONTENTS. 

Bronchitis, 94 

Catarrh, 9ST 

Nasal  Gleet 100 

Roaring,   101 

Common  Cough # 103 

Tracheotomy, 105 

Bleeding  from  the  Nose, 105 

Heaves  or  Broken  Wind, 106 


PISEASES   OF  THE  URINARY  ORGANS. 

Inflammation  of  the  Kidneys, 108 

Bloody  Urine, 113 

Albuminous  Urine, 114 

Profuse  Staling, 118 

Inflammation  of  the  Bladder, 119 

Suppression  of  Urine, 122 

DISEASES   OF   THE    DIGESTIVE   CAVITY  AND  ITS 
SURFACES. 

Bots, 125 

Description  of  the  Horse's  Stomach, 130 

Inflammation  of  the  Bowels, 133 

Inflammation  of  the  Stomach  and  Bowels, 139 

Twisting  of  the  Intestines, 147 

Colic, 150 

Inflammation  of  the  Peritoneum, 154 

Diarrhoea, 154 

Falling  of  the  Fundament, 156 

Scours  and  Constipation  in  young  Colts 161 

Indigestion, 165 

DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER. 

Jaundice 168 

Inflammation  of  the  Liver, 172 

DISEASES   OF  THE  EYE    AND  ITS  MEMBRANES. 

Inflammation  of  the  Eye, 174 

Cataract, 178 

Amaurosis  or  Gutta  Serena, 179 

Specific  or  Periodic  Ophthalmia, 181 


CONTENTS.  11 


DISEASES   OF   THE  NERVOUS   SYSTEM. 

Palsy, 184 

Locked-jaw, 187 

Springhalt, 200 

Hysteria, 203 

Hysteritis, 207 


EEVER  IN  HORSES. 

Remarks  on  Eever, 207 

Simple  Scarlet  Fever, 213 

Malignant  Scarlet  Fever, 216 

Typhus  Fever, 219 

Putrid  Fever, 220 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MOUTH. 

Slavering, 224 

Inflammation  of  the  Tongue, 227 

Wounds  of  the  Tongue, 228 

Lampas, 228 

Aphthae,  or  Thrush, 231 

Dentition, 231 

Sharp  and  Projecting  Teeth, 231 

Bishoping 232 


LAMENESS  FROM   STRAIN  AND    OTHER   CAUSES. 

Observations  on  Lameness, 232 

Hip  Joint  Lameness, 236 

Lameness  of  the  Stifle  Joint, 237 

"  «      Hock, 238 

"  "       Shoulder, 239 

"  "       Elbow  Joint, 240 

Cuib» 243 

Navicularthritis, 244 

Operation  for  Neurotomy, 247 

Pleurodynia , 254 

Acute  Rheumatism,  or  Founder, 256 

Chronic  Rheumatism, 261 

Spasm  of  the  Muscles, 262 

Splent, 263 

SPavin 265 


12  CONTENTS. 

Bog  and  Blood  Spavins, 275 

Windgalla 276 

Ringbone, 276 

Remarks  on  Strain, 282 

Strain  of  the  Fetlock, 283 

"  "       Knee, 283 

"  "       Coffin  Joint, 283 

"  "      Back, 2S3 

"       Shoulder 2S4 

Thoroughpin 284 

Open  Joint, .e 286 

Remarks  on  Dislocation, 289 

Dislocation  of  the  Neck, 289 

"  «        Shoulder, 290 

"  "        Hip, 290 

"  «        Stifle, 291 

"  "        Fetlock 291 


DISEASES    OF   THE    SKIN   AND    SUB-CELLULAR    TISSUES. 

Grease  or  Scratches, 292 

Hardening  of  the  Skin 298 

Malanders  and  Salanders, 299 

Poultry  Lousiness, 300 

Rats  Tail 305 

Hidebound, 306 

Falling  off  of  the  Hair, 308 

Ringworm, • 309 

Swelling  of  the  Legs, 311 

Stings  of  Bees, 313 

Cutaneous  Eruption  and  Itching, 316 

Mange, 316 

Cracked  Heels, 317 

Acute  Irritation  of  the  Skin, 318 

Sweating, 321 

Warts, 324 

Considerations  and  Experiments  relating  to  Contagious  Diseased,.  325 

Melanosis, •    •  • .  323 


DISEASES   OF   THE   HOOF  AND   LAMINAE. 

Observations  on  the  Horse's  Hoof, .  331 

Treads  and  Overreaches, 334 

Quarter  Crack, • 335 

Toe  Crack, 335 


CONTENTS.  13 

Quittor, 338 

Pumice  Foot, 340 

Foot  Rot, 345 

Corns, 347 

Bruise  of  the  Sole, 350 

Thrush, 350 

Acute  Inflammation  of  the  Feet,  (Laininitis,) 351 

Contraction  of  the  Hoof,  {Hoof  bound,) 354 

Canker  of  the  Foot, 355 

Cutting,  {Interfering,) 357 

GENERALITIES 

Cribbing,  (Crib  biting,) 357 

Poll  Evil, 361 

Fistula  of  the  Withers, 363 

Docking, 364 

"Wounds, .- 365 

Incised  Wounds, 365 

Contused        ««      366 

Lacerated       "      367 

Punctured      " 367 

Penetrating    "      368 

Penetrating  Wound  of  Intestine, 368 

"  "    of  the  Chest, 370 

Worms, 370 

Nicking, .* 372 

Meteorization, 374 

Protrusion  of  the  Penis, 376 

Urethral  Gleet, 377 

Glanders 378 

Farcy, 387 

Wet  Packing, 394 

Disinfection  of  Stables, 396 

On  the  Use  of  the  Cautery, 398 

Operation  of  Lithotomy, 399 

Scalded  Shorts, 399 

Method  of  administering  Medicines  to  Horses, 400 

Soundness,  as  opposed  to  Lameness 401 

Lymphatitis, 412 

On  the  Gadfly 414 

Medicinal  Preparations  used  in  Veterinary  Practice, 418 

Posological  Table, 428 

Abstract  of  Seventh  Census 431 

Table  of  Bones, 432 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Skeleton, * % 

Stomach  and  Bowels, 34 

"Vapor  Bath, '  53 

Male  Organs  of  Generation, 109 

Female  Organs  of  Generation, 120 

Stomach, 126 

Bots 126 

FffiTUS, 204 

Method  of  Slinging  a  Horse, 233 

Spavins, 266,  267 

Ringbone, 267 

Apparatus  for  Fracture,  &c, 288 


THE  MODEM   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


ON  THE  QUALIFICATIONS  NECESSARY  FOR  THE  PRACTICE 
OF  VETERINARY  MEDICINE. 

The  subject  to  which  the  author  is  about  directing  the  reader's 
attention  is  one  of  great  importance  to  Americans,  both  as  regards 
their  individual  and  national  interests;  for  while  it  contributes  to 
the  honor  and  greatness  of  the  one,  it  advances  the  interests  of 
the  other ;  and  no  man,  class  of  men,  nor  a  nation,  can  feel  satis- 
fied that  they  have  done  their  duty  to  their  flocks  and  herds, 
the  cattle  on  a  thousand  hills,  the  noble  war-horse,  —  the  right 
arm  of  a  nation's  power  on  hard-contested  battle  fields,  —  unless 
there  are  means  provided  for  their  restoration  when  sick,  a  reme- 
dy against  deterioration,  and  a  preventive  against  empiricism 
and  barbarity.  The  means,  remedy,  and  preventive  are  com- 
prehended in  the  veterinary  science. 

This  science  is  to  the  brute  just  what  human  medicine  is  to  his 
master ;  and  if  we  estimate  the  value  of  the  former  in  exact  ratio 
to  that  of  those  noble  animals  which  we  are  so  often  permitted 
to  behold,  it  must  be  apparent,  to  every  thinking  mind,  that  a 
science  which  contemplates  so  much  that  is  really  useful  and 
beneficial  to  the  lower  orders  of  creation  may  be  worthy  the  sup- 
port of  the  American  people. 

In  allusion  to  the  veterinary  science,  the  author  has  no  refer- 
ence to  the  haphazard  method  which  is  now  practised  by  many, 
who,  without  any  medical  training,  or  even  attending  medical 
lectures  on  the  sister  art,  when  there  are  such  favorable  oppor- 
tunities, vainly  attempt  to  prescribe  for  the  sick  and  dying,  sup- 
posing that  they  have  inherited  medical  skill  from  their  ances- 
tors.    This  is  not  legitimate  science.     Our  art  is  not  acquired  in 

(15) 


16  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

this  way  ;  it  is  the  property  of  the  industrious  and  devoted  stu- 
dent, and  from  all  others  it  is  withheld.  Facts  in  medicine  are, 
like  the  hidden  treasures  of  the  earth,  only  to  be  discovered  by 
patience  and  industry. 

In  order  to  obtain  the  necessary  knowledge  for  successful  prac- 
tice, some  often  have  devoted  a  lifetime  to  it,  yet,  after  all,  ac- 
knowledged themselves  but  feeble  children,  in  regard  to  the  mag- 
nitude of  their  professional  responsibilities. 

It  follows,  then,  that  there  is  no  hereditary  road  to  medical 
truth  ;  that  the  necessary  knowledge  which  our  art  requires  as 
an  element  for  its  correct  practice,  can  only  be  attained  by  un- 
remitting and  methodical  observation,  by  years  of  careful  stud/ 
and  practice. 

But  we  refer  to  a  rational  system  of  medication  founded  upon 
the  physiological  laws  of  life  ;  a  correct  system  of  therapeutics, 
pathology,  and  chemistry,  without  a  knowledge  of  which  no  man 
can  ever  practise  this  science  with  any  degree  of  credit  or  success. 

Reader,  let  us  reason  together.  Every  qualified  human  prac- 
titioner enters  upon  the  duties  of  his  profession  with  an  under- 
standing of  anatomy,  physiology,  pathology,  and  chemistry,  and 
has  other  scientific  qualifications,  all  of  which,  combined,  enable 
their  possessor,  under  the  direction  of  a  trained  intellect,  to  under- 
stand the  laws  of  nature  ;  to  comprehend  her  ways  and  means  of 
sustaining  the  vital  forces,  promoting  their  harmony,  and  pre- 
venting discord. 

Such  an  individual  possesses  a  knowledge  of  what  is  already 
known,  or  believed  to  be  so,  of  the  theory  and  practice  of  medicine 
in  all  its  details ;  his  own  daily  experience  confirms  the  facts  or 
points  out  errors.  He  treasures  up  the  one  and  rejects  the  other, 
and  in  the  investigation  of  a  medical  case,  the  human  surgeon 
finds  a  useful  guide  to  correct  diagnosis  in  conference  with  his 
patient.  The  responses  of  the  latter  throw  considerable  light  on 
the  nature,  locality,  and  intensity  of  the  malady.  These  advan- 
tages have  no  parallel  in  veterinary  medicine ;  we  cannot  ques- 
tion our  patients,  and  can  only  judge  of  the  state  of  their  health 
by  physical  examination  —  by  the  signs  revealed.  Hence  the 
greater  need  of  preliminary  education  and  tact  on  the  part  of 
those  who  undertake  to  prescribe  for  brutes. 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  17 

It  may  be  urged,  that  much  of  the  information  required  for  the 
practice  of  our  art  is  acquired  by  the  senses.  Then  we  answer, 
that  they  require  cultivation  ;  the  mind  must  be  educated,  so  as 
to  be  able  to  digest  the  phenomena  which  constantly  occur,  in 
every  variety  of  feature  and  form,  throughout  the  whole  range  of 
medical  diversity. 

Surely,  if  the  qualifications  here  so  briefly  alluded  to,  and 
others  not  enumerated,  are  requisite  for  the  successful  practice 
of  human  surgery,  how  can  they  be  dispensed  with  in  the  vete- 
rinary department  ?  Surely,  they  cannot ;  for  they  are  an  es- 
sential element  not  to  be  dispensed  with. 

The  intelligent  and  thinking  husbandman,  who,  as  a  matter  of 
necessity,  has  been  compelled  to  prescribe  for  the  ailments  of  his 
flocks  and  herds,  without  the  privileges  of  medical  tuition,  has 
probably  often  felt  that  every  new  gleam  of  light  which  flits 
across  his  path,  only  serves  to  bewilder,  and  make  him  better  ac- 
quainted with  his  own  want  of  knowledge  and  the  comparative 
darkness  that  now  exists,  where  all  should  be  bright  and  radiant. 

Such,  as  well  as  those  engaged  exclusively  in  the  management 
of  horses,  prescribe  to  the  best  of  their  ability  ;  but  death  has  the 
advantage  of  them,  for  they  know  not  his  mode  of  warfare,  nor 
the  means  necessary  for  a  successful  combat.  There  are  a  few 
veterinary  surgeons,  located  in  this  country,  endeavoring  to  light 
up  the  dark  spots  referred  to,  and  serve  the  cause  of  humanity; 
yet,  however  diligent,  when  we  compare  their  labors  with  the 
magnitude  of  the  cause,  they  bear  the  same  relation  to  it  that  a 
grain  of  mustard  seed  does  to  a  mountain. 

In  every  city,  town,  and  village,  throughout  this  great  republic, 
there  is  need  of  veterinary  practitioners.  We  must  have  them  ; 
there  are  great  interests  at  stake.  Some  of  the  interested  have 
heard,  read  of,  or  their  animals  have  experienced  the  benefits  of, 
a  correct  system  of  practice,  and  now  they  desire  to  see  such  sys- 
tem extend,  so  that  all  may  receive  benefit  therefrom. 

The  masses,  however,  have  not  had  an  opportunity  of  judging 
of  the  merits  of  this  science,  in  consequence  of  a  dearth  of  the 
right  kind  of  information,  and  the  scarcity  of  its  disciples.  Books 
of  authority  are  as  scarce  as  the  latter :  of  American  parentage, 
they  are  few  and  far  between  ;  and  this  is  mortifying  to  our 
2* 


18  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

national  pride,  especially  when  we  contemplate  the  universal  in- 
telligence that  pervades  all  classes  of  community.  There  are  in- 
tellectual stars  in  this  country,  the  brilliancy  of  whose  productions 
has  astonished  the  world  of  literature  in  every  department  except 
the  one  here  alluded  to,  and  that  is  a  barren  waste  —  neglected, 
unexplored.  Works  of  authority  are  those  recognized  as  such 
by  the  faculty,  written  by  men  whose  impartiality,  love  of  truth, 
practical  industry,  and  method  have  gained  for  themselves  that 
popularity  and  respect  which  the  author  seriously  recommends 
to  American  rivalry. 

It  is  true  we  have  works  on  farriery,  but  they  are  not  of  the 
right  kind ;  they  lack  merit ;  they  may  be  rich  in  theory,  but 
their  pages  are  barren  of  the  practical  and  useful ;  the  few  golden 
truths  that  they  contain  are  so  mixed  up  with  the  sands  of  error? 
that,  in  order  to  distinguish  and  select  one  from  the  other,  a 
greater  amount  of  veterinary  talent  and  discrimination  is  needed 
than  usually  falls  to  the  lot  of  those  who  read. 

Without,  however,  casting  any  reflections  on  the  authors  of 
such  works,  who  have  given  to  our  people  the  very  best  proofs 
of  their  noble  natures  and  philanthropic  motives,  we  observe  that 
these  productions,  although  the  very  best  they  were  enabled  to 
write,  are  not  what  the  age  requires,  or  our  interests  demand. 

If  the  community  wish  to  peruse  a  work  of  authority  on  lame- 
ness, glanders,  or  farcy,  they  must,  at  great  expense,  procure 
foreign  authors ;  they  must  consult  a  Percivall,  or  some  such 
writer.  A  horse  literature  is  sadly  needed,  for  we  have  diseases 
in  this  country,  peculiar  to  climate  and  location,  that  differ  some- 
what from  those  familiar  to  the  nations  of  the  old  world. 

The  extreme  diversities  in  the  climate  of  the  United  States 
are  a  frightful  cause  of  disease  —  a  subject  worthy  the  investi- 
gation of  all  men  ;  especially  does  the  subject  demand  attention 
from  those  who  would  boast  of  the  sanitary  condition  of  their 
flocks  and  herds,  for  it  is  only  by  comparing  the  diseases  of 
locations  most  dissimilar  in  their  character  and  temperature,  that 
the  most  useful  illustrations  of  morbid  influences  are  to  be  ob- 
tained. 

We  ask,  Where  are  our  statistical  tables  of  diseases  peculiar 
to  this  country  ?     And  echo  answers,  Where  ? 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  19 

What  do  we  know  practically  of  the  cause  and  nature  of  the 
various  forms  of  influenza,  commonly  called  pink  eye,  horse  aiU 
&c.  ?  The  same  may  be  said  of  milk  sickness,  pleuro-pneumonia, 
and  many  other  diseases  that  we  might  name.  We  know  noth- 
ing—  absolutely  nothing. 

Milk  sickness  is  a  disease  that  at  times  prevails  in  the  West- 
ern States,  to  such  an  alarming  extent,  attended  with  such  a 
frightful  mortality,  that  it  has  served  as  a  cause  to  disband  a  whole 
community.  A  reward  of  several  thousand  dollars  has  been 
offered  by  legislative  authority,  to  be  given  to  that  individual  who 
shall  first  discover  and  make  known  the  cause  of  the  disease. 

But  the  reward  has  never,  to  the  author's  knowledge,  been 
claimed.  Diseases  of  the  lungs  are  so  rife  in  the  United  States, 
that,  if  we  except  old  age,  two  thirds,  or  perhaps  one  half,  of  the 
losses  experienced  by  owners  of  stock  in  the  death  of  horses  and 
cattle,  result  from  diseased  lungs. 

Pneumonia  is  a  common  form  of  disease  among  horses,  and  great 
skill  and  discretion  are  needed  in  order  to  bring  it  to  a  favorable 
termination,  for  it  often  laughs  to  scorn  the  puny  efforts  of  man, 
however  well  directed.  It  requires  the  very  best  skill  for  its 
treatment,  because  the  organ  involved  is  one  whose  function 
gives  life  and  action  to  all  the  other  organs.  It  performs  the 
very  last  act  of  digestion,  which  is  the  decarbonization  of  the 
blood  ;  and  modern  physiologists  inform  us  that  the  lungs  play  a 
more  important  part  in  the  circulation  of  the  blood  through  the 
arterial  ramifications  than  the  heart  itself;  which  has  heretofore 
been  considered  the  only  source  of  circulation.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  no  organ,  when  deranged,  requires  so  much  skill  in  its  early 
stage  as  this  —  early,  because  the  delay  of  a  few  hours  may 
prove  fatal.  A -mistake  in  the  diagnosis,  or  a  wrong  medicine 
administered,  tnay  place  the  patient  beyond  the  aid  of  man. 

You  may  call  en  the  veterinary  surgeon  in  the  latter  stages 
of  the  disease,  and,  as  often  happens,  after  the  patient  has  been 
pretty  well  dosed ;  but  it  is  too  late ;  the  animal  has  passed  the 
Rubicon,  and  has  entered  within  the  boundaries  of  the  valley  of 
death. 

It  is  necessary,  therefore,  to  be  able  to  detect  this  disease  in 
its  primary  form,  before  it  has  completely  invaded  the  citadel 


20  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

of  life.  But  how  many  are  there  in  these  United  States  that 
can  diagnose  a  disease  of  this  character  ?  Not  one  hereditary 
doctor  in  a  hundred  can  do  so  with  any  degree  of  certainty  ;  yet, 
to  such  a  state  of  perfection  are  auscultation  and  percussion  now 
arrived,  that  the  qualified  can  detect  a  lesion  of  the  lungs  with 
astonishing  precision.  Almost  every  change  that  takes  place 
within  those  organs  can  now  be  detected  by  the  surgeon  with 
remarkable  exactness.  And  a  regularly  educated  veterinary 
surgeon  would  dishonor  his  profession,  and  likewise  impart  a 
withering  influence  to  his  future  operations,  if  he  were  found 
wanting  in  this  particular.  So  that  the  qualifications  needed, 
not  only  for  the  management  of  this,  but  every  other  disease, 
should  be  of  the  first  order ;  for  it  is  a  fact  that  the  losses  from 
acute  diseases  are  far  greater  than  they  ought  to  be,  and  these 
losses  are  felt  by  the  hard-working  farmer,  and  by  those  who  de- 
pend on  the  earnings  of  horses  for  a  living ;  and  they  certainly 
must  hail  as  a  great  blessing  any  attempts  to  introduce  an  im- 
proved medical  literature,  and  a  rational  system  of  practice  that 
shall  remedy  the  great  evils  which  now  exist. 

The  author  now  proposes  to  give  the  reader  some  idea,  by  a 
single  illustration,  of  the  absurd  and  positively  injurious  tendency 
which  many  of  our  present  works  on  horses  have.  In  a  work 
on  the  horse,  lately  published  in  the  city  of  Boston,  we  read, 
that  a  disease  of  very  frequent  occurrence,  named  ringbone, 
is  an  enlargement  fed  by  a  bladder ;  and  no  doubt  the  author 
thought  so,  or  he  would  not  have  written  it ;  for  he  was  a  high- 
minded  man,  much  opposed  to  violence  and  unnecessary  medica- 
tion in  the  management  or  treatment  of  horses.  Well,  this  error 
in  reference  to  the  nature  of  the  disease  was  not  of  such  great 
account ;  but  it  led  to  the  infliction  of  a  useless  and  painful  op- 
eration. The  extraction  of  this  bladder  is  there  recommended. 
An  operation  is  to  be  performed  in  a  portion  of  the  structure 
highly  organized,  and,  of  course,  susceptible  to  great  pain,  to  ex- 
tract the  bladder,  which  has  about  as  much  to  do  with  the  real 
malady  as  the  reader  has  with  the  rising  and  setting  of  to-mor- 
row's sun.  But  whom  have  we  to  extract  this  bladder  ?  The 
author  undertakes  to  answer  for  the  profession.  No  educated 
surgeon  can  be  found  willing  to  disgrace  the  art,  and  belie  his 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  21 

conscience  in  the  practice  of  so  absurd  and  cruel  an  operation. 
No  ;  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and  the  changes  which  the  parts 
undergo,  from  exostosis  to  anchylosis,  (see  article  Ringbone,)  are 
so  clearly  demonstrated  in  works  of  authority,  and  so  well  illus- 
trated on  dissection,  that  no  doubt  exists  in  the  minds  of  the 
faculty  regarding  the  disease. 

There  are  many  other  kindred  errors  existing  in  like  works, 
but  our  limits  prevent  their  exposure ;  we  have  chosen  to  allude 
to  this  particular  case,  because  we  have  within  a  few  days  seen 
an  article  in  one  of  our  most  respectable  journals,  recommending 
also  the  extraction  of  "  the  bladder,  by  which  the  ringbone  is  fed" 
for  its  cure,  and  that  every  three  out  of  four  cases  operated  on 
were  cured. 

What  they  mean  by  cure  possibly  amounts  to  the  same  thing 
as  when  speaking  of  the  cure  of  spavin,  that  the  lameness  after  a 
time  disappears.  (See  Spavin.)  The  freedom  from  lameness  in 
some  cases  of  ringbone  results  from  the  superior  and  inferior  pap- 
tern  bones  becoming  united,  (anchylosed,)  thus  the  action  of  the 
joint  is  forever  destroyed.  This,  forsooth,  is  the  cure  !  When 
anchylosis  can  be  cured,  we  shall  be  able  to  boast  of  reversing 
nature's  laws. 

Some  of  our  readers  may  think  that  there  is  no  practical  bene- 
fit derived  from  allusions  to  the  unscientific  customs  of  past  days. 
But  when  we  come  to  consider  that  the  veterinary  art  has,  in  this 
country,  progressed  in  a  circle  ;  that  our  domestic  animals  are  still 
the  subjects  of  misguided  notions  peculiar  to  the  dark  ages;  that 
cruelties  which  have  had  their  day  of  reproach  are  now  being 
enacted  over  again,  even  under  our  own  eyes  ;  this  is  our  apology 
for  alluding  to  the  past,  so  that  we  may  improve  in  the  future. 

We  live  in  an  age  when  the  little  we  know  of  the  veterinary 
art  is  a  mere  item  of  what  we  should  know ;  for  such  knowledge 
can  be  made  an  instrument  in  the  bands  of  philanthropic  men  for 
the  benefit  of  all  classes  of  creation. 

The  important  discoveries  made  of  late  in  Europe,  in  the  sev- 
eral departments  of  veterinary  medicine,  are  indicative  of  the  age 
in  which  we  live.  Americans  must  not  be  behind  the  age ;  their 
interest,  pride,  and  patriotism  should  arouse  them  to  a  sense  of 
their  indifference,  and  consequent  dependence  on  other  nations 


22  the  modern  horse  doctor. 

for  veterinary  knowledge.  In  conelusion,  we  observe,  that  the 
veterinary  science  has  to  be  built  and  reared  on  facts,  recorded 
facts,  the  result  of  practical  experience,  for  the  understanding  is 
incapable  of  acting  on  innumerable  facts  from  the  memory  alone  j 
hence  our  need  of  the  written  experience  of  scientific  men.  Such 
writings  furnish  the  practitioner  with  the  power,  aided 'by  his 
own  observation,  in  discriminating  between  maladies  which  are 
often  confounded,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  science. 

It  is  useless,  therefore,  to  suppose  that  the  veterinary  art  can 
be  acquired  at  the  forge,  plough,  or  in  the  stable,  without  prelimi- 
nary education ;  and  then  but  very  few  could  spare  the  time  to 
study  the  art  and  produce  records  of  their  experience*.  The 
length  of  time  necessary  for  it,  the  intellectual  labor,  and  the 
weariness  of  such  pursuit,  are  obstacles  not  easily  surmounted. 
Every  one  to  his  trade,  then.  In  order  to  understand  how  the 
veterinary  science  is  to  be  studied,  so  that  men  can  comprehend 
its  legitimate  object,  —  the  why  and  wherefore  of  disease,  and  the 
modus  operandi  of  medicine,  —  we  must  have  the  same  facilU. 
ties  here  that  now  exist  in  Europe  within  her  veterinary  uni- 
versities. 

There  are  hundreds  and  thousands  of  young  men  in  these 
United  States  undecided  what  to  do  for  a  living.  TVe  say  unto 
such,  Come  over  and  help  us,  for  "  the  harvest  is  ripe,  but  the 
laborers  are  few."  Now  is  the  time  to  come  to  the  rescue,  and 
carry  out  the  intentions  of  the  veterinary  art,  and  thus  change  the 
current  of  oublic  opinion  in  its  favor. 


GREAT  BENEFITS   DERIVED   PROM   STUDYING    COMPARATIVE 
ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY. 

"  If  medical  men  have  been  guilty  of  gross  errors,  it  is  because  they  have  neg- 
lected to  dissect  brutes."  —  Galen. 

TVith  a  view  of  showing  how  much  human  medicine  is  in- 
debted to  comparative  investigations  on  the  bodies  of  animals,  let 
us  briefly  consult  the  records  of  the  past. 


TIIK    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOK.  23 

History  informs  us  that  most  of  the  ancient  and  modern-  prac- 
titioners who  have  distinguished  themselves  in  their  profession 
and  gained  the  confidence  of  mankind,  have  always  paid  more  or 
less  attention  to  the  dissection  of  brutes.  Thus,  in  the  language 
of  Mr.  Vines,  u  they  have  transplanted  to  the  medical  profession 
the  honor  of  discoveries  that  were  made  in  trenching  on  the  terri- 
tory of  the  veterinary  science.'"  "  And,"  continues  the  same  author, 
"  it  is  not  to  the  study,  the  treatment,  and  cure  of  animal  disease 
alone,  that  this  science  is  strictly  confined.  Second  only  to  human 
medicine  in  actual  importance,  it  possesses  considerable  advantage 
over  it,  and  offers  opportunities  for  the  cultivation  of  general  path- 
ological and  physiological  knowledge,  and  more  particularly  for 
that  important  branch  termed  comparative  anatomy,  that  are  far 
superior  to  any  thing  that  medical  practitioners  can  boast  of." 

In  the  early  period  of  the  history  of  medicine,  it  has  been 
recorded  that  dissections  of  the  human  body  were  held  in  strict 
abhorrence ;  and  when  we  contemplate  what  we  observe  in  our 
own  enlightened  day  and  generation  —  how  medical  teachers  have 
often  been  compelled  to  resort  to  illegal  means  in  order  to  pro- 
cure the  necessary  material  for  demonstrating  to  their  pupils  the 
science  of  life,  and  that  the  authority  of  the  law,  and  the  more 
formidable  one,  public  opinion,  has  been  arrayed  against  the  gen- 
eral practice  of  dissecting  the  bodies  of  men  —  then  we  are  pre- 
pared to  realize  how  much  odium  the  ancients  must  have  attached 
to  the  practice. 

From  the  quotation  above,  the  reader  will  perceive  that 
Galen  attached  great  importance  to  the  dissection  of  brutes,  and 
his  followers,  up  to  the  present  day,  have,  to  some  extent,  carried 
out  his  suggestions. 

Reading  on  through  the  pages  of  the  history  of  the  past,  we  learn 
that  those  small  lacteals,  termed  absorbents,  which  are  so  numer- 
ously distributed  over  the  internal  surface  of  the  alimentary 
canal,  by  the  aid  of  which  the  blood  is  furnished  with  the  neces- 
sary material  for  supplying  the  waste,  developing  and  preserving 
the  animal  organization,  were  first  discovered  in  kids.  Those 
wonderful  pieces  of  divine  mechanism  placed  within  the  heart, 
and  known  to  anatomists  as  its  valves,  were  first  discovered 
in  animals  by  Erasistratus,  who  also  discovered  the  cesophagus. 


24  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  fallopian  tubes,  a  portion  of  the  female  organs  of  genera- 
tion, were  also  discovered  in  a  ewe.  Galen  demonstrated  in 
Rome,  on  living  animals,  the  organs  of  sound  and  respiration. 
He  also  showed  on  them  the  effect  produced  by  ligature  on  the 
nerves. 

Vesalius  proved,  by  experiments  on  animals,  that  it  was 
possible  to  restore  suspended  animation  by  artificial  inflation  of 
the  lungs.  This  discovery  is  one  of  the  most  important,  and  has 
resulted  in  as  great  good  to  the  human  family  as  any  like  dis- 
covery made  before  or  since.  See  the  fond  and  anxious  mother 
bending  over  the  cold  and  apparently  lifeless  form  of  her  darling 
boy,  who  has  just  been  recovered  from  the  watery  element ! 
Witness  her  agony  as  she  contemplates  what  appears  to  her  as 
a  bereavement ;  and  now,  hope  —  the  anchor  of  her  soul  —  is 
aroused,  as  she  watches,  with  a  mother's  anxiety  and  love,  the 
efforts  made  by  the  medical  attendant,  who  is  now  repeating  the 
experiments  of  Vesalius.  His  labors  are  rewarded.  Nature 
resumes  her  empire;  and  anon  signs  of  returning  animation  are 
perceived,  and  the  mother  shouts  with  frantic  joy,  "  He  breathes ! 
He  lives ! " 

Are  there  not  thousands  of  fond  parents  and  anxious  friends 
that  have  been  benefited  in  a  similar  manner  ? 

Those  organs  termed  the  salivary  glands,  which  secrete  a  por- 
tion of  the  fluids  necessary  for  the  digestion  of  food,  were  first 
discovered  in  an  ox,  by  Eustachius,  who  subsequently  discovered 
in  a  horse  the  thoracic  duct. 

Dr.  Wren  made  several  experiments  on  living  animals,  to  be 
assured  of  the  effect  of  different  substances  on  the  blood  and  solid 
parts.  This  truly  valuable  discovery  has  been  one  of  great  im- 
portance to  the  whole  world,  for  it  was  then  made  known  that, 
through  the  medium  of  the  lacteals,  (absorbents,)  lacteal  veins, 
and  thoracic  duct,  inorganic  materials  reached  the  blood,  and 
finally  became  deposited  in  the  cellular  and  solid  structures. 
This  discovery  has  enabled  us  to  explain  in  what  manner  the 
elements  of  nutrimental  matter  reach  their  ultimate  destination. 
It  further  enables  us  to  explain  the  why  and  wherefore  of  the 
alteration  in  the  color  of  the -cow's  milk  when  fed  on  beets  or 
saffron,  and  also  the  cause  of  that  offensive  taste  in  pork  when 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  25 

fed  on  the  rotten  recrements  of  cities.  In  short,  lacteal  absorp- 
tion gives  us  the  modus  operandi  of  many  medicines  on  the 
systems  of  man  and  animals. 

Observations  on  taste  and  feeling  were  first  made  on  brutes, 
and  afterwards  verified  on  man.  The  lachrymal  ducts  were 
first  discovered  in  the  eye  of  a  sheep,  and  the  excretory  duct  of 
the  pancreas  was  discovered  in  a  turkey. 

Bernard  and  Spallanzani  discovered  the  antiseptic  properties 
of  the  gastric  fluid  in  the  following  manuer  :  they  obtained  some 
of  that  fluid  from  a  stomach,  mixed  it  with  an  equal  quantity  of 
putrid  blood,  and  then  allowed  them  to  stand  together  for  eighteen 
hours  ;  the  mixture  was  then  injected  into  the  jugular  vein  of  a 
dog.  The  mixture  produced  no  inconvenience ;  and  being  aware, 
before  making  the  experiment,  that  any  putrid  matter,  on  being 
injected  into  the  blood  of  a  living  animal,  was  sure  and  certain 
death,  the  conclusion  they  arrived  at  was,  that  the  gastric  fluid  was 
endowed  with  the  power  of  neutralizing  the  deleterious  action  of 
the  putrid  ferment,  thus  depriving  the  morbid  matter  of  its  poison- 
ous properties  ;  and  this  conclusion  has  been  frequently  verified. 
This  discovery  was  also  of  great  value  in  more  ways  than  one ; 
but  it  enabled  us  to  explain  why  animal  matters  in  a  state  of 
putrefaction,  when  introduced  into  the  stomach,  do  not  always 
prove  destructive.  The  reader,  probably,  knows  that  the  dog, 
wolf,  and  many  other  carnivorous  animals  are  fond  of  putrid  flesh, 
and  that  some  men,  even,  have  a  craving  for  game  in  a  partial 
state  of  decomposition,  and  they  all  seem  to  digest  such  filth 
with  very  little  inconvenience. 

Another  equally  important  experiment  was  made  by  Magen- 
die  on  a  dog.  He  injected  fifteen  grains  of  blood  into  the  jugular 
vein  of  the  animal.  The  effect  was,  great  disturbance  of  the 
functions  of  the  brain  and  circulation,  and  the  animal  died  in 
twelve  hours. 

Another  experiment  was  performed.  The  same  physician 
introduced  two  drachms  of  putrid  water,  in  which  fish  had  been 
kept,  just  underneath  the  skin,  and  the  animal  died  almost  im- 
mediately. Such  experiments  speak  to  us  in  a  warning  voice  ; 
they  teach  us  to  be  careful  how  we  trifle  with  putrid  matter. 
We  may  introduce  it  into  the  stomach,  provided  that  organ  be  in 
8 


26  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

a  healthy  state ;  but  the  moment  it  comes  in  contact  with  the  vital 
current  by  other  means,  that  very  moment  life  is  endangered. 

It  was  from  experiments  on  animals,  made  by  Dra.  Wren 
and  Boyd,  that  led  to  the  transfusion  of  blood ;  for  shortly  after 
those  experiments,  a  Frenchman  transfused  the  blood  of  a  human 
subject  into  the  veins  of  another,  and  it  is  recorded  that  several 
lives  have  in  this  way  been  saved. 

In  the  course  of  transfusing  the  blood  of  one  animal  into  that 
of  another,  it  was  discovered  that  what  are  termed  the  globules 
of  the  blood  were  uniform  in  all  animals  of  the  same  species,  and 
yet  presented  different  forms  in  animals  of  different  tribes.  In 
man,  the  particles  of  blood  presented  flat  disks,  resembling  pieces 
of  money,  having  a  slight  depression.  In  birds,  reptiles,  and 
fishes  the  disks  were  oval,  instead  of  being  round,  and  instead  of 
being  depressed  in  the  centre,  they  were  elevated  on  each  side. 
From  this  experiment  it  was  argued  that  the  fitness  of  the  blood 
of  one  animal  to  the  uses  of  another  of  a  -different  species  de- 
pended on  the  formation  of  its  globules.  Experiments  have 
frequently  been  made  to  test  the  truth  of  this  theory,  and  it  has 
been  found  to  be  correct.  An  eminent  physiologist  has  remarked 
that,  "  in  order  to  arrive  at  an  explanation  of  what  is  obscure  in 
man,  we  must  look  to  the  lowest  and  simplest  forms  of  creation. 
For  though  in  man  is  combined,  in  a  wonderful  and  unequalled 
manner,  all  the  functions  which  separately  exhibit  themselves  in 
various  other  animals,  he  is  not  the  most  favorable  subject  for 
observing  their  action ;  hence  we  are  obliged  to  refer  to  a  num- 
ber of  other  tribes  for  the  assistance  we  gain  in  the  study  of  their 
comparative  structures.  There  is  not  a  single  species  of  animal 
that  does  not  present  us  with  a  set  of  facts  which  we  should  never 
learn  but  by  observing  them  in  such  species,  and  many  of  the 
facts  ascertained  by  the  observation  of  the  simplest  and  most 
common  animals." 

Yet  in  view  of  all  these  discoveries,  and  the  consequent 
increase  of  knowledge,  there  is  yet  much  to  learn.  Instead  of 
being  at  the  summit  of  the  temple  of  science,  we  have  only  just 
surmounted  some  of  the  obstacles  that  surround  its  base ;  and  ere 
long,  phenomena  of  the  most  surprising  nature  yet  remain  to  be 
discovered,  and  fresh  laurels  are  to  be  won  by  the  industrious 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  27 

and  devoted  physiologist.  At  the  moment  of  writing  this  article, 
intelligence  has  reached  us,  that  inoculation  for  the  mitigation 
of  pleuro-pneumonia  is  being  practised  in  France,  Holland,  and 
Prussia,  and  the  respective  governments  of  these  countries  have 
appointed  commissions  of  scientific  men  to  inquire  into  the  success 
and  value  of  the  practice.  The  inoculations  are  made  under 
the  conviction  that  pleuro-pneumonia  is  highly  contagious,  and 
spreads  itself  from  this  cause,  as  well  as  from  the  special  causes 
of  the  extension  of  epizootic  diseases.  What  takes  place  in  the 
system  of  cattle  after  inoculation  is  identical  with  that  observed 
in  man  when  inoculated  with  virus.  The  operation  in  each  case 
engenders  a  peculiar  state  of  the  system,  which,  without  impart- 
ing the  disease  itself  to  the  subject,  gives  immunity  against  the 
several  causes  that  produce  it.  If  the  experiments  shall  ulti- 
mately prove  successful,  we  may  safely  say  that  no  discovery  of 
equal  importance  to  the  husbandman  has  ever  dawned  upon  the 
veterinary  science.  In  the  United  States,  however,  this  fearful 
disease  is  not  so  prevalent  as  in  various  other  countries.  This 
arises  in  consequence  of  our  cattle  and  horses  being  scattered 
over  a  much  larger  territory,  and  our  cities  being  compara- 
tively exempt  from  the  causes  which  are  said  to  produce  it ;  yet 
enough  losses  occur  here  to  arouse  us  to  a  sense  of  the  danger. 

It  may  be  proper,  however,  to  inform  the  reader,  that  the 
reports  of  the  commission  to  the  several  governments  are  some- 
what contradictory,  and  the  novel  enterprise  has  met  with  some 
opposition  ;  but  this  is  the  history  of  many  improvements  of 
the  past ;  therefore,  we  must  not  be  hasty  in  forming  our  con- 
clusions. 

The  advocates  of  inoculation  declare  that  it  is  of  equal  im- 
portance to  vaccination  in  the  human  subject.  "Who  knows  but 
in  a  short  time  that  dreadful  scourge  in  this  country,  known  as 
milk  sickness,  or  trembles,  may  be  disarmed  of  its  terrors  by  the 
same  process  ?  Not  only  milk  sickness,  but  many  other  con- 
tagious diseases,  may,  perhaps,  be  made  to  assume  a  mild  and 
innoxious  form. 

As  the  subject  is  a  new  one  to  the  husbandmen  of  this  country, 
the  author  may  be  pardoned  for  introducing  an  illustration  of 
the  benefits  derived  from  inoculation.     "  The  town  of  Hasselt,  in 


28  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

■which  arc  kept  two  thousand  cows  and  oxen,  is  a  town  full  of  dis- 
tilleries, and  these  animals  are  fed  on  slops  and  grains.  From 
the  situation,  want  of  drainage,  and  accumulation  of  filth,  added 
to  the  imperfect  system  of  ventilation,  management,  &c,  the 
location  may  be  considered  as  the  very  centre  and  focus  of  a  dis- 
ease like  pleuro-pneumonia."  Since  the  year  1836  the  town  has 
never  been  free  from  the  malady,  and  many  hundreds  of  animals, 
during  the  past  sixteen  years,  have  fallen  victims  to  it,  and  the 
town  is  now  said  to  be  free  from  the  pest ! 

Finally,  the  few  distinguished  men  here  named,  and  others, 
too  numerous  to  mention,  animated  with  a  desire  for  knowledge, 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunities  afforded  for  reading 
the  book  of  life  as  it  is  written  by  the  hand  of  Omnipotence  in 
the  series  of  animated  creation,  and  the  benefits  which  all  have 
derived  are  incalculable. 


BRIEF  HISTORY  OF  VETERINARY  SCIENCE. 

The  veterinary  science,  like  that  practised  on  man,  was  first 
called  into  existence  by  necessity ;  the  many  diseases  to  which 
domestic  animals  were  subject,  and  to  which  they,  too  frequently, 
fell  victims  for  want  of  proper  professional  knowledge,  and  the 
great  loss  which  agriculturists  experienced  in  consequence,  led 
them  to  seek  for  a  remedy. 

In  the  year  1761,  the  first  veterinary  school  was  established  at 
Lyons,  under  the  patronage  of  government,  whose  fostering  care 
the  infant  school  for  a  time  received.  At  the  commencement  of 
this  embryotic  enterprise,  the  populace  looked  on  with  indiffer- 
ence ;  but  many  of  the  liberal  and  scientific  men  of  that  day  saw 
in  the  enterprise  a  boundless  field  for  research,  a  broad  road  to 
usefulness  and  distinction,  and  many  eagerly  embarked  in  it  with 
unflinching  perseverance,  overcoming  every  obstacle,  with  a  view 
of  making  known  those  laws  regulating  the  vital  forces  of  domes- 
tic animals. 

The  fruits  of  their  labors  are  bequeathed  as  a  legacy  to  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  29 

profession,  and  the  names  of  the  first  cultivators  of  veterinary 
science  are  inscribed  on  the  tablets  of  their  country's  history  as 
public  benefactors. 

Four  years  after  the  endowment  of  this,  the  first  school  in 
France,  a  similar  one  was  established  at  Alfort.  A  regular  sys- 
tem of  veterinary  medicine  was  there  taught,  under  which  students 
acquired  an  acquaintance  with  the  various  forms  of  disease,  and 
the  modus  operandi  of  therapeutic  agents  on  domestic  animals. 
The  novel  enterprise  was  regarded  by  other  nations  of  Europe 
with  a  watchful  eye,  and  they  were  not  slow  in  coming  to  the 
rescue ;  schools  rapidly  sprang  up  in  Holland,  Berlin,  Copen- 
hagen, Stutgard,  and  in  various  other  places,  which  proved 
equally  successful  and  beneficial  as  the  French  schools. 

We  shall  now  pass  over  a  period  of  twenty-seven  years,  during 
which  time  the  science  had  gradually  enlisted  in  its  ranks  men 
of  influence,  talent,  and  research.  And  now  an  individual  of 
French  descent,  named  St.  Bel,  lands  on  the  shores  of  England, 
having  letters  of  introduction  from  the  first  men  in  France  to  Sir 
Joseph  Banks  and  other  influential  individuals,  to  whom  he 
made  known  his  mission ;  which  was,  that  of  establishing  the 
veterinary  science,  then  unknown,  and  of  course  unappreciated, 
in  the  British  dominions. 

He  was  encouraged,  with  very  flattering  assurances  of  success, 
to  commence  operations,  and  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  London 
he  published  proposals  for  establishing  a  veterinary  school ;  there 
seemed,  however,  to  be  a  sort  of  indifference  manifested  among 
the  masses,  and  consequently  very  little,  beyond  making  known 
his  object,  was  effected  during  the  first  year.  In  the  following, 
he  published  proposals  to  read  lectures  on  the  science,  and  thus 
give  the  English  nation  an  opportunity  to  judge  of  the  value  of 
the  new  project;  but,  alas!  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment; 
his  second  proposal  met  with  no  better  success  than  at  first.  The 
apparent  failure  of  his  primary  labors  has  been  attributed,  by  an 
eminent  writer,  to  various  causes,  and  it  may  be  well  for  us  to 
notice  them,  for  the  very  same  causes  have  been,  and  are  now,  in 
active  operation,  diverting  American  skill  and  intelligence  from 
embarking  in  a  cause  so  worthy  the  attention  and  support  of  a 
free  and  enlightened  nation.  It  was  in  consequence  of  the 
3* 


30  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

character  of  those  who  presumed,' without  the  necessary  qualifi 
cations,  to  practise  the  art,  that  the  English  husbandmen  refused 
to  put  their  shoulders  to  the  wheel,  and  receive  the  offered  boon. 
That  country  had  been  visited  by  diseases  of  a  pestilential  type, 
which  had  made  sad  havoc  among  the  stock,  and  had  swept  them 
from  the  green  hills  and  verdant  valleys,  as  by  the  blast  of  a  tor- 
nado. Their  horses,  too,  did  not  escape  the  arm  of  the  destroyer ; 
they  were  constantly  suffering  and  dying  from  insidious  forms 
of  disease,  the  history  and  characters  of  which  were  almost 
unknown.  This  state  of  things,  together  with  the  unfortunate 
occurrence  that  there  were  no  legitimate  practitioners,  had  opened 
a  wide  field  for  adventurers  and  quacks,  whose  barbarous  sys- 
tem of  medication,  probably,  was  the  cause  of  many  deaths. 
These  practitioners,  in  lieu  of  better,  were  taken  as  standards, 
and  the  people  had,  to  a  great  extent,  formed  an  estimate  of  the 
value  of  this  art  in  exact  ratio  to  the  talents  of  the  village  farrier, 
and  in  proportion  to  the  success  that  attended  his  labors.  This 
is  precisely  the  state  of  affairs  in  America. 

St.  Bel  gives  us  another  reason  for  his  failure,  but  it  amounts 
to  nearly  the  same  thing.  He  says,  "  The  opulence  of  England 
offered  a  wide  field  for  impostors  of  foreign  origin,  by  whom  the 
nation  was  daily  imposed  on,  and  repeated  experience  of  such 
impositions  naturally  excited  distrust  towards  foreigners  in  gen- 
eral ;  and  because  honesty  of  views  was  not  written  on  his  face, 
patience  and  perseverance  became  his  only  resources." 

At  this  stage  of  affairs  St.  Bel  was  fortunate  enough  to  make 
the  acquaintance  of  a  gentleman  who  had  a  decided  taste  for  the 
art,  and  who  eagerly  responded  to  the  views  of  the  professor, 
and  bade  him  not  despair  of  ultimate  success ;  assuring  him  that 
by  setting  the  matter  in  its  right  light  before  the  people  he  would 
soon  obtain  all  he  desired.  This  assurance  inspired  St.  Bel  with 
new  hopes,  and  he  immediately  issued  a  pamphlet  of  some  twenty- 
eight  pages,  entitled,  Plan  for  establishing  an  Institution  to 
cultivate  and  teach  the  Veterinary  Art.  This  pamphlet  was 
well  received,  and  several  agricultural  societies  paid  the  writer 
handsome  compliments,  and  conferred  on  him  honorary  distinction. 

During  the  year  1790,  several  meetings  took  place  between  the 
members  of  agricultural  societies  and  gentlemen  favorable  to  the 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  31 

cause  ;  till,  at  length,  active  measures  were  adopted  for  promoting 
the  object.  A  resolution  to  this  purport  was  now  passed,  which 
read  as  follows :  "  That  the  parties  had  observed  the  good  effects 
produced  on  the  public  mind  by  the  exertions  of  the  friends  to 
the  art,  for  its  improvement,  and  approved  of  St.  Bel's  plan  for 
establishing  a  public  institution  for  that  purpose."  The  result 
was,  that  an  institution  was  soon  endowed,  which  was  named 
''The  Veterinary  College  of  London,"  to  which  St.  Bel  was 
appointed  professor.  But  unfortunately,  that  distinguished  indi- 
vidual had  scarcely  occupied  the  chair  one  year,  when  a  sudden 
and  brief  illness  terminated  his  mortal  career,  and  he  was  con- 
signed to  the  silent  tomb  ere  the  laurels  had  scarcely  encircled 
his  brow. 

Being  thus  cut  off  at  such  an  early  period,  yet  in  the  midst  of 
his  usefulness,  the  prospects  of  the  infant  institution  became 
greatly  affected — only  for  a  short  season,  however.  The  college 
was  considered  to  be  in  a  flourishing  condition  ;  the  Duke  of 
Northumberland  had  already  contributed  a  sum  equal  in  our  cur- 
rency to  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  enterprise  num- 
bered among  its  stanch  supporters  such  men  as  the  Earl  of 
Grosvenor,  Mr.  Penn,  Earl  Morton,  Drs.  John  Hunter  and  Craw- 
ford, and  subsequently  that  great  surgeon  and  medical  hero,  Sir 
Astley  Cooper. 

Medical  men  hailed  the  new  enterprise  as  one  not  only  calcu- 
lated to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  suffering  domestic  animals, 
but,  what  was  of  still  greater  importance  to  them  and  mankind,  they 
perceived  in  it  a  fruitful  field  for  the  cultivation  of  comparative 
anatomy  and  physiology.  "With  this  object  in  view,  Dr.  J.  Hun- 
ter assisted  the  friends  of  the  new  school  both  by  his  professional 
influence  and  from  his  private  purse. 

Although  the  college  had  been  in  existence  but  a  brief  period, 
its  pupils  had  gained  sufficient  knowledge  of  theory  and  practice 
to  distinguish  themselves ;  thus  fully  realizing  the  anticipations 
of  its  founders.  Among  the  first  pupils  who  sought  to  qualify 
themselves  as  efficient  veterinary  practitioners,  we  find  recorded 
the  names  of  Laurence,  Blain,  and  Clark.  Each  of  these  philan- 
thropists has  since  left  to  the  world  a  record  of  their  labors,  which, 
even  in  this  enlightened  age,  serve  as  useful  guides  to  the  young 
aspirant  for  veterinary  fame. 


82  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

The  professorship  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  father  of 
this  science,  St.  Bel,  was  conferred  on  Mr.  Coleman,  who  had 
previously  devoted  himself  to  physiological  research ;  he,  too, 
soon  distinguished  himself,  and  the  college  again  assumed  its 
former  flourishing  condition.  A  medical  committee  was  now 
appointed,  consisting  of  some  of  the  most  eminent  practitioners 
that  the  country  could  boast  of,  by  whom  the  pupils  were  exam- 
ined, and  when  found  to  have  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  of  the 
art,  certificates  were  granted  accordingly.  We  are  informed  that 
this  medical  examining  committee  were  lecturers  of  human  medi- 
cine, and  with  a  liberality  that  reflected  great  credit  on  them, 
permitted  the  veterinary  pupils  to  attend  their  lectures  on  human 
anatomy  free  of  charge.  Thus  did  a  band  of  really  great  and 
good  men  unite  their  efforts  and  interests,  for  the  study  of  the 
science  of  life  in  all  its  diversity  and  forms.  By  this  wise  asso- 
ciation of  the  sister  sciences,  its  advocates  aimed  a  death  blow  at 
the  ignorance,  quackery,  and  superstition  of  the  times,  and  they 
were  successful  to  some  extent;  for  a  new  order  of  practitioners 
took  the  field ;  they  soon  demolished  the  old  landmarks  set  up  by 
the  ignorant  farriers,  and  erected  in  their  stead  beacons  of  light : 
thus  spread  the  illuminating  rays  of  science  broadcast,  and  the 
public,  as  well  as  their  domestic  animals,  were  benefited  thereby. 

Professor  Coleman  had  now  succeeded  m  securing  the  patron- 
age of  government  —  the  strings  of  the  public  purse  were  loos- 
ened, and  the  parliament  voted  a  sum  of  money,  to  be  paid 
annually,  for  the  support  of  the  college.  It  is  related  also,  that 
the  reigning  monarch,  George  the  Third,  granted  the  rank  of 
commissioned  officers  to  such  veterinary  graduates  as  were 
intended  as  surgeons  to  the  cavalry  regiments. 

The  Honorable  East  India  Company,  observing  the  good 
effects  produced  by  such  appointments,  was  likewise  induced  to 
follow  the  example  of  their  monarch  in  appointing  veterinary 
surgeons  to  serve  in  their  armies  in  India.  Other  nations  have 
thus  followed  the  example  set  them  by  France  and  England,  so 
that  regular  veterinary  surgeons  may  be  found  in  all  the  four 
quarters  of  the  globe. 

In  England,  at  the  present  day,  veterinary  students  rapidly 
increase ;   never  were  they  so  numerous  ;   recruits  arrive  from 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  33 

every  quarter,  to  enlist  in  the  army  of  scientific  veterinary  medi- 
cine, and  ere  long  human  practitioners  must  look  to  the  laurels, 
or  they  will  be  snatched  from  their  brows. 

The  advantages  under  which  the  veterinary  art  can  now  be 
studied  in  England,  France,  and  Germany  are  not  inferior  to 
those  of  the  most  favored  university ;  and  such  astonishing  dis- 
coveries, through  the  aid  of  chemistry  and  the  microscope,  are  in 
such  rapid  succession  surprising  the  medical  world,  and  so  splen- 
did are  the  achievements  in  the  departments  of  veterinary 
surgery,  that  the  noble  sons  of  iEsculapius  —  our  brethren  of  the 
human  school  —  are  watching  the  labors  of  their  kindred  spirits 
with  no  ordinary  interest. 

Such  is  the  brief  history  of  our  art ;  much  interesting  matter 
might  be  added,  with  a  view  of  enlisting  the  sympathies  of  Ameri- 
can philanthropists ;  but  the  author  feels  assured  that  the  time  is 
soon  to  arrive  when  the  people  of  this  country  wTill  unite  with 
their  brethren  of  the  old  world  in  a  hearty  cooperation  for  the 
amelioration  of  live  stock. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUT. 


1.  1,  1.    The  three  coats  of  the  stomach  ;  generally  described  zsfoiir, 

2.  (Esophagus  or  gullet. 

3.  Region  of  the  cardiac  orifice  of  the  stomach. 

4.  Muscular  coat  of  the  stomach. 

5.  Cellular  and  mucous  coat. 

6.  External  coat,  or  peritoneal  tunic,  reflected  over. 

7.  Region  of  the  pyloric  orifice. 

8.  Great  convex  border. 

9.  Concave  border. 

10.  Fundus,  or  great  cul-de-sac. 

11.  Small  cul-de-sac. 

12.  Representing  the  nerves  of  the  stomach.  They  cannot,  however,  be 
shown  to  much  advantage  in  this  view  ;  as  the  cerebro-spinal  and  sympathetic 
form  various  plexuses  within  the  chest,  and  interchange  fibres  ere  "they  reach 
the  diaphragm,  where  they  form  two  branches,  termed  inferior  and  siqjerior ; 
one  goes  to  the  fundus,  and  the  other  to  the  pyloric  end  of  the  stomach. 

13.  Duodenum,  or  second  stomach,  as  it  is  sometimes  called. 

14.  Bilary  and  pancreatic  ducts. 

15.  Small  intestine,  known  as  duodenum  jejunum,  and  ileum. 

16.  Terminating  portion  of  the  ileum,  at  the  junction  of  the  ccccum  and  colon. 

17.  Ca?cum,  or  blind  gut. 

18.  Colon. 

19.  Rectum. 

20.  Anus. 

21.  Sphincter  muscle  of  the  anus. 


34 


THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


STOMACH  AND   BOWELS. 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  35 

DISEASES  OF  THE  BRAIN  AND   ITS   MEMBRANES. 

STOMACH  STAGGEKS.* 

This  is  a  disease  very  prevalent  in  this  section  of  the  United 
States,  and  probably  originates  in  derangement  of  the  stomach. 
The  latter  organ  is  united  to  the  brain  in  the  ties  of  sympathetic 
relationship,  through  the  medium  of  the  great  sympathetic  nerve ; 
and  whenever  the  stomach  becomes  overburdened,  and  there- 
fore incapable  of  performing  its  normal  function,  it  communicates 
the  intelligence  to  head  quarters,  —  the  brain,  — and  soon  sympa- 
thetic relations  are  established,  and  the  brain,  as  it  were,  becomes 
secondarily  affected. 

Disease  of  this  character  seldom,  if  ever,  attacks  horses  when 
due  care  is  exercised  in  regard  to  dietary  management.  A  very 
celebrated  author  has  said  that  this  disease  never  occurs  ex- 
cept by  the  fault  of  those  who  have  the  management  of  the  horse. 
It  sometimes  arises  from  giving  a  horse  too  much  provender, 
after  he  has  been  kept  too  long  without  food,  and  in  the  interim 
worked  hard,  or  driven  fast.  At  other  times,  a  horse  may  get 
loose  during  the  night,  and  so  gorge  himself  that  the  stomach  is 
jncapable  of  contracting  upon  its  contents,  or  in  any  way  perform- 
ing its  function  ;  in  such  cases,  the  walls  of  that  organ  are  often 
ruptured. 


*  A  stomach  surcharged  with  food,  without  any  accompanying  tympanitic  dis- 
tention, does  not  appear  to  occasion  any  local  pain,  but  operates  with  that  kind 
of  influence  upon  the  brain  which  gives  rise  to  symptoms,  not  stomachic,  but 
cerebral ;  hence  the  analogy  between  this  disease  and  staggers,  and  the  appel- 
lation for  it  of  "  stomach  staggers."  The  unnaturally  filled  stomach  produces, 
for  the  first  time,  a  sense  of  satiety ;  the  horse  grows  heavy  and  drowsy,  re- 
poses his  head  upon  the  manger,  falls  asleep,  and  makes  a  stertorous  noise. 
All  at  once  he  rouses  from  his  lethargy,  and  violently  thrusts  his  head  against 
the  rack  or  wall  of  the  stable,  or  any  thing,  in  fact,  that  happens  to  oppose 
him,  and  in  this  posture  paws  with  his  fore  feet,  or  performs  the  same  action 
with  them  as  he  would  were  he  trotting,  evidently  all  the  while  unconscious  of 
what  he  is  about.  His  eye,  which  at  first  was  full  of  drowsiness,  has  now  ac- 
quired a  wild,  unmeaning  stare,  or  has  already  become  dilated  and  insensible 
to  light.  The  respiration  is  tardy  and  oppressed  ;  the  pulse  slow  and  sluggish  ; 
the  excretions  commonly  diminished.  —  Hippopathology. 


36  TIIE   MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Not  long  ago,  a  firm  in  this  city  (Boston)  lost  three  valuable 
horses,  in  the  course  of  six  weeks,  from  stomach  staggers,  brought 
on  by  the  hazardous  experiment  of  making  the  victims  subsist 
on  two  meals  a  day,  one  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the 
other  after  work  at  night.  The  experiment  was  not  from  pecu- 
niary motives,  but  because  the  stable  was  so  far  distant  from  the 
owners'  place  of  business  that  it  was  inconvenient  to  drive  the 
horses  there. 

On  the  death  of  the  first  horse,  some  one  possessing  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  facts  in  the  case,  and  understanding  that  sudden 
changes  of  this  character  in  diet  were  sure  to  terminate  in  stag- 
gers, represented  the  matter  to  one  of  the  partners  in  business, 
who,  however,  treated  the  affair  lightly,  and  remarked  that 
many  of  his  acquaintance  kept  their  horses  on  two  meals  a  day, 
making  up  for  the  loss  of  the  noon  meal  by  giving  them  double 
allowance  at  night.  On  the  death  of  the  second,  which  was  a  very 
valuable  animal,  from  a  disease  that  had  never  before  prevailed 
in  their  stable,  the  proprietors  themselves  began  to  doubt  the  ex- 
pediency of  dispensing  with  the  noon  meal,  and  therefore  ordered 
the  horses  to  be  driven  home  at  noon  ;  but  ere  the  order  was  ex- 
ecuted, a  third  horse  had  gone  the  way  of  all  horseflesh.  Some 
eighteen  months  have  since  elapsed,  and  the  survivors,  who  have 
enjoyed  their  three  meals  a  day,  are  in  good  health.  The  dis- 
ease was  thus  timely  arrested. 

Those  of  our  species,  who,  after  protracted  abstinence,  in- 
dulge too  freely  in  the  luxuries  of  the  season,  can  call  to  mind 
their  sleepy,  unpleasant  sensations,  headaches,  &c,  can,  proba- 
bly, realize  what  a  horse  suffers  from  an  empty,  overloaded, 
or  disordered  stomach.  From  these  and  other  facts  which 
might  be  adduced,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  the  disease  is  of 
stomachic  origin. 

The  disease,  having  once  manifested  itself,  is  very  apt  to  re- 
turn, and  for  the  simple  reason  that  precautions  are  not  taken  to 
.guard  against  a  relapse.  So  soon  as  the  animal  appears  bettei*, 
and  craves  food,  he  is  bountifully  supplied,  and  returns  almost 
immediately  to  work  ;  even  before  the  stomach  has  had  time  to 
recover  its  equilibrium.  The  animal  soon  becomes  a  confirmed 
dyspeptic,  and  is  saddled  with  an  incurable  disease. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  37 

A  horse,  therefore,  having  once  had  an  attack  of  staggers, 
should  be  fed  with  great  care  and  regularity ;  care  must  be  ex- 
ercised in  regard  to  the  quality  as  well  as  the  quantity  of  the  food ; 
for,  unfortunately,  the  course  pursued  by  practitioners  —  although 
those  of  the  present  day  have  improved  somewhat  —  leads 
to  prostration  and  debility ;  and  in  order  to  place  the  animal  in 
a  condition  to  sustain  the  living  principle  and  ward  off  future 
attacks,  we  must  furnish  him  nutritious  food,  from  which  albu- 
men may  be  extracted  with  as  little  expenditure  as  possible  of 
the  chemico-vital  forces  of  digestion. 

A  horse  fed  on  hay  and  grain  that  is  deficient  in  nutriment  — 
of  inferior  quality  —  is  liable  also  to  be  the  subject  of  staggers; 
so  that  the  disease  does  not  always  arise  from  the  same  exciting 
cause.  It  is  well  known  that  much  of  the  pasture  land  in  this 
country  abounds  in  rank  weeds  and  poisonous  herbs,  which,  if 
partaken  of  by  a  horse  already  enfeebled  by  disease,  are  sure  to 
operate  unfavorably  on  some  portion  of  the  digestive  apparatus. 
Therefore  it  need  not  seem  strange  if  some  horses,  even  at  grass, 
should  have  an  attack  of  staggers. 

Symptoms.  —  The  dull,  sleepy  appearance  and  staggering  gait 
of  the  animal  are  symptoms  not  to  be  mistaken,  and  as  almost 
every  horseman  prides  himself  on  his  ability  to  detect  a  case  of 
this  character,  we  shall  now,  therefore,  come  to  the  treatment. 

Treatment  of  Stomach  Staggers.  —  If  the  patient  is  known,  or 
even  supposed,  to  labor  under  distention  of  the  stomach,  the 
most  rational  course  to  pursue,  instead  of  bleeding  and  jmrging, 
is  to  excite  the  digestive  organs  —  to  secrete  the  fluid  destined  for 
the  solution  of  its  contents.  Yet,  in  cases  where  the  stomach  is 
gorged  —  packed  full  —  and  distended  beyond  its  healthy  capaci- 
ty, and  there  is  reason  to  suppose  that,  in  consequence  of  the 
over-distention,  some  of  its  muscular  fibres  are  lacerated,  or  a 
loss  of  continuity  has  taken  place,  the  treatment  then  will  be  of 
no  avail.  We  excite  the  stomach,  therefore,  in  simple  disten- 
tion, to  pour  out  its  gastric  fluids  for  the  solution  of  the  albumi- 
nous and  gelatinous  constituents  of  its  contents,  so  that  by  the 
withdrawal  of  these  we  afford  more  room  for  the  reduction  to  a 
state  of  fine  division  that  portion  of  the  food  which  remains. 
We  want  room  in  the  stomach  for  the  reason  that  the  solvent 
4 


38  THE   MODERN    HORSE   DOCTOR. 

action  of  the  gastric  fluid  is  aided  by  the  least  movement  of  the 
walls  of  the  stomach,  and  without  successive  contractions  and 
relaxations  of  the  muscular  fibres  of  that  organ  we  cannot  insure 
prompt  digestion. 

If  we  can  only  effect  the  reduction  of  a  small  portion  of  the 
alimentary  mass,  something  has  been  done  likely  to  benefit  our 
patient ;  for,  although,  in  consequence  of  obstruction  to  the  py- 
loric orifice,  that  portion  of  food  which  is  now  reduced  to  a 
homogeneous  mass  cannot  move  onward  through  the  alimentary 
route,  yet  nature  finds  a  way  to  get  rid  of  it  through  another 
channel.  It  is  known  to  physiologists,  that  a  portion  of  the  nu- 
tritious matter,  dissolved  by  the  gastric  fluid,  is  at  once  absorbed 
into  the  blood  vessels  of  the  stomach,  and  never  passes  into  the 
intestinal  tube,  nor  into  the  special  lacteal  system. 

With  the  above  object  in  view,  we  administer  remedies  of  a 

stimulating  and  antiseptic  character. 

^       Take  pure  pulverized  capsicum, 
"  common  salt. 

To  half  an  ounce  of  the  former  add  four  ounces  of  the  latter ; 
rub  them  together  in  a  mortar,  and  drench  the  horse  with  one 
fourth,  in  a  small  quantity  of  water,  at  intervals  of  ten  or  twenty 
minutes,  until  relief  be  obtained. 

A  solution  of  pepsin  (which  is  obtained  from  the  washed 
stomach  of  a  cow,  calf,  or  pig)  might  possibly  act  on  the  contents 
of  a  distended  stomach  in  much  less  time  than  any  other  agent ; 
for,  at  the  ordinary  temperature  of  the  body,  it  is  a  powerful 
solvent. 

It  seems  strange,  when  we  take  into  consideration  that  the 
action  of  the  gastric  fluid,  both  in  and  out  of  the  stomach,  is 
purely  of  a  chemical  nature,  that  practitioners  do  not  avail  them- 
selves of  chemical  aids,  (either  the  hydrochloric,  acetic,  or  lactic 
acids,)  which  are  the  real  solvents  detected  in  the  gastric  fluid, 
rather  than  to  resort  to  bloodletting;  for  however  well  calcu- 
lated such  evil  doing  may  be  to  deprive  the  vital  machinery  of 
blood,  it  cannot  relieve  the  stomach  of  a  load  of  semi-digested 
food.  It  is  the  doctrine  of  the  schools  that  any  thing  having  a 
tendency  to  overflow  the  brain  with  blood  may  be  considered  as 
a  cause  for  staggers,  and  the  idea  of  the  brain,  in  such  cases, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  39 

being  surcharged,  probably  first  led  to  the  use  of  the  fleam.  If 
the  brain  be  in  a  state  of  congestion,  there  is  a  cause  for  it  —  a 
distended  stomach ;  relieve  that  of  its  burden,  remove  the  cause, 
and  the  congestion  will  disappear. 

After  the  animal  has  swallowed  several  doses  of  the  capsicum 
and  salt,  and  seems  to  improve,  we  may  then  venture  on  a  dose 
of  cathartic  medicine,  with  a  view  of  carrying  off  the  superabun- 
dant carbon;  whereas,  had  the  cathartic  medicine  been  given 
before  the  stomach  had  resumed  its  digestive  function,  —  which 
is  now  presumed  to  have  taken  place,  —  it  would  have  done  more 
harm  than  good.  The  author  admits  that  he  was  formerly  in 
favor  of  early  purging,  that  is,  so  soon  as  the  disease  manifested 
itself;  yet  a  few  years  of  practical  experience  has  weaned  him 
from  the  hobby;  and  what  contributed  most  to  produce  this 
change  in  practice  was,  that  by  making  several  post  mortem  ex- 
aminations of  subjects  which  had  died  from  staggers  of  this  descrip- 
tion, and  who  had  been  pretty  essentially  dosed  by  advice  of  the 
neighbors,  he  often  found  in  the  cardiac  portion  of  the  stomach  a 
mixture  of  salts,  aloes,  castor  oil,  &c,  which  had  not  reached  the 
sensitive  tissues  of  this  organ  in  consequence  of  its  distended 
state,  and  the  pressure  kept  up  from  within  by  the  enormous 
bulk  it  contained.  In  some  cases,  on  removing  the  food,  a  por- 
tion of  the  living  membrane  of  the  stomach  would  peel  off.  So 
great  pressure  had  the  food  been  submitted  to  in  some  cases, 
that  it  was  about  as  firm  as  a  Dutch  cheese,  and  the  stomach  en- 
veloped it  with  drum-like  tightness.  There  might  have  been  no 
help  in  such  cases ;  but,  as  we  have  said,  the  post  mortems  have 
changed  our  views  as  to  the  treatment  of  the  malady  now  under 
consideration. 

Rarely,  if  ever,  any  bad  consequence  follows  the  exhibition  of 
cathartic  medicine  when  the  vessels  of  the  brain  are  surcharged, 
provided  it  be  given  as  here  recommended,  for  it  matters  not 
which  of  these  articles  —  aloes,  croton  farina,  salts,  or  castor  oil  — 
are  given:  they  all  act  on  alimentary  surfaces  as  mechanical 
irritants,  exhaust  the  fluids  of  the  parts,  and  tend  to  draw 
blood  from  the  brain,  and  thus  favor  the  more  equal  distribution 
of  that  fluid. 

Catharsis  once  established,  the  bowels  should  be  kept  soluble 


40  THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR. 

with  green  feed  or  scalded  shorts.  Superpurgation  may  be  im- 
mediately checked  by  a  few  doses  of  charcoal,  or  a  small  quanti- 
ty of  bay  berry  bark  and  ginger  ;  but  if  our  subject  be  plethoric 
no  fears  need  be  entertained  of  over  purging  from  an  ordinary 
dose  of  medicine.     See  Cathartic  Medicine,  or  Physic  Mass. 

Should  stomach  staggers  attack  an  over-driven  or  over-ridden 
horse,  he  never  having  manifested  any  cerebral  or  digestive  de- 
rangement, nothing  more  is  needed  than  rest,  kind  nursing,  and 
a  light  diet.  If  he  recover  at  all,  he  will  be  more  likely  to  do  so 
under  the  judicious  promptings  of  a  humane  man  than  by  any 
other  course. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  debilitated,  hrolcen-dovm  subject  must  be 

put  on  a  course  of  tonic  medicine,  alterative  also  in  its  character. 

The  following  serves  as  an  example  :  — 

Powdered  gentian,  ~| 

"  grams  01  paradise,  f 

"  sulphur,  J 

Oatmeal,  1  pound. 

Mix.  Divide  the  mass  in  twelve  parts,  and  mix  one  with  the 
fodder,  night  and  morning. 

The  next  form  of  this  kind  of  disease  has  received  the  appel- 
lation of 

SLEEPY   STAGGERS. 

This  disease  is  named  sleepy  from  the  fact  that  its  most  charac- 
teristic symptom  is  that  of  coma  or  somnolency.  The  subject 
may  be  surrounded  by  all  the  noise  and  confusion  of  a  city 
stable,  yet,  in  the  midst  of  this,  and  at  any  time,  day  or  night, 
will  fall  fast  asleep  with  his  mouth  full  of  fodder.  On  arousing 
him,  he  evinces  some  alarm ;  yet  almost  immediately,  and  while 
standing  by  his  side,  he  is  off  into  what  appears  to  be  a  sound 
nap. 

There  are  other  features  in  the  case  that  enable  the  observer 
to  make  out  a  diagnosis,  such  as  stertorous  breathing  ;  slowness 
of  respiration ;  slow,  soft  pulse  ;  amaurotic  eyes,  (generally 
closed  ;)  the  head  either  drooping  or  pressed  forward  into  the 
crib.  In  most  cases  the  excrement  is  hard  and  knobby ;  the 
urine  scanty 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  41 

The  disease  probably  originates  in  derangement  of  the  stom- 
ach and  its  associate  digestive  organs.  It  is  very  apt  to  termi- 
nate fatally,  either  from  effusion  or  extravasation. 

Treatment.  —  Here  we  are  at  fault,  not  having  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  bringing  such  cases  to  a  favorable  termination.  We 
remember  one  case,  however,  that  was  considered  hopeless ;  and 
by  way  of  experiment  we  administered  the  unwarrantable  dose 
of  half  a  pound  of  lobelia,  expecting  at  the  same  time  that  it 
would  cause  his  death ;  but,  contrary  to  our  expectations,  he  re- 
covered. The  remedy  was  followed  up  by  stimulating  injections 
and  cold  water  bandages  around  the  head. 

The  lobelia  seemed  to  have  no  other  effect  than  to  produce 
profuse  perspiration,  and  this  suggested  the  idea  of  placing  such 
patients  in  a  vapor  ba*k  —  an  idea  that  we  have  not  yet  been  able 
to  carry  out.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that  nauseating  medi- 
cines, in  conjunction  with  the  warm  bath,  will  do  as  much  to 
relieve  congestion  in  the  horse  as  they  have  accomplished  in 
human  medicine. 

If  we  had  nothing  but  simple  congestion  to  contend  with  in 
the  treatment  of  this  malady,  our  success  would  be  more  certain  ; 
but  cases  now  and  then  occur  when  some  morbid  change  takes 
place  in  the  structure  of  the  brain,  so  that  our  treatment  avails 
nothing.  The  treatment  most  likely  to  succeed  in  a  curable  case 
consists  in  the  administration  of  nauseating  medicines.  One 
drachm  of  lobelia,  with  half  the  quantity  of  bloodroot,  may  be 
given  in  warm  water  every  hour.  A  dose  of  cathartic  medicine 
should  be  administered  in  the  early  stage  of  the  disease,  fol- 
lowed by  injections  of  salt  and  water.  Counter  irritation  may 
also  be  of  service  when  applied  to  the  extremities. 

Cathartics  and  nauseants  must  be  our  sheet  anchor,  and  should 
be  repeated  until  a  free  evacuation  has  taken  place ;  for  they 
have  a  tendency  to  lessen  the  force  of  the  circulation,  and  conse- 
quently relieve  the  brain.  The  author  is  well  aware  of  the 
difficulty  encountered  in  administering  medicine  to  horses  labor- 
ing under  disease  of  the  brain  and  its  investing  membranes ;  the 
danger  too,  both  as  regards  the  person  of  the  physician  and  the 
life  of  the  patient,  must  be  taken  into  consideration ;  for  there  are 
times  when  the  patient  is  unable  to  swallow,  and  if  we  should 
4* 


42  TIIE   MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

then  insist  on  forcing  down  a  drench,  a  portion  of  it  might  enter 
the  air  passages  and  choke  him.  The  attendant  is  at  times  in 
danger  of  personal  injury  from  the  animal's  suddenly  falling ; 
but  these  suggestions  apply  more  to  those  forms  of  disease 
known  as 

INFLAMMATION   OF  TIIE  BHAIN.  —  (Phrenitis.) 

This  form  of  disease  corresponds  to  that  recognized  by  human 
practitioners  as  brain  fever.  In  the  horse,  the  disease,  frequently, 
in  its  last  stages,  assumes  so  violent  a  form  that  veterinary  prac- 
titioners have  denominated  it  mad  staggers.  The  animal  is  not 
rabid,  however,  but  frantic ;  now  rearing  on  his  hind  legs,  the 
fore  ones  are  plunged  into  the  crib ;  he  extends  the  head  as  high 
as  possible  towards  the  ceiling,  and  then,  as  quick  as  thought, 
furiously  dashes  himself  against  the  stall,  or  on  the  floor,  where 
he  lies  panting  for  breath,  in  a  perfect  state  of  delirium.  At 
other  times,  convulsions  will  follow  each  other  in  quick  succes- 
sion ;  the  animal  pants,  perspires,  and  foams  at  the  mouth,  as  if 
he  were  about  to  breathe  his  last  breath ;  and  a  happy  release 
from  his  sufferings  would  it  be,  if  at  this  stage  the  vital  spark 
were  to  vacate  its  tenement ;  but,  unfortunately,  he  is  often  doomed 
to  suffer  for  hours,  and  sometimes  days,  ere  death  takes  place. 

Treatment.  —  The  treatment  of  mad  staggers  must  be  con- 
ducted on  the  same  principles  as  in  the  preceding  disease.  We 
must  embrace  the  most  favorable  opportunity ;  and  perhaps 
while  the  animal  is  down  will  be  the  best  time  to  administer  the 

following  drench :  — 

\ 

Pulverized  aloes, "...    7  drachms, 

"  assafoctida, 2      " 

Hot  water, 1  pint. 

This  medicine  should  be  followed  up,  at  intervals,  with  doses 
of  salt  and  water ;  two  ounces  of  salt  to  one  pint  of  water,  grad- 
ually diminishing  the  quantity  of  salt  until  purgation  sets  in, 
when  it  should  be  discontinued.  Injections  should  be  thrown 
into  the  rectum  every  four  hours,  composed  of 

Powdered  lobelia,        ln?nnr.\,  i  „,1T,™ 
bloodroot,  5  of  each  1  ounce, 

Hot  water,  two  or  three  quarts. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  43 

A  counter  irritant,  consisting  of  mustard,  cayenne,  and  vinegar, 
may  be  applied  to  the  chest.  The  head  must  be  kept  cool  with 
water. 

If  the  bowels  do  not  respond  to  the  aloetic  drench,  after  wait- 
ing a  reasonable  time,  it  will  be  advisable  to  give  three  or  four 
drachms  more.  There  need  be  no  fears  of  superpurgation ;  and 
if  that  should  be  the  result,  it  could  not  do  much  harm.  "  Pur- 
gation in  mad  staggers  has  ever  stood  in  such  high  repute  among 
farriers,  that  a  common  saying  among  them  is  '  Purge  a  horse 
with  staggers,  and  you  cure  him ; '  and  this,  like  many  other  old 
veterinary  adages,  appears  to  have  been  founded  in  sound  obser- 
vation. In  fact,  it  is  a  practice  pursued  by  every  surgeon  in 
cephalitic  cases,  with  the  twofold  view  of  removing  any  source 
of  irritation  or  cause  for  the  head  affection  that  may  exist  within 
the  bowels,  and  of  indirectly  abstracting  blood  by  derivation  and 
discharge."  —  Hippopathology,  p.  20. 


APOPLEXY. 

The  immediate  causes  of  apoplexy  are,  compression  of  the 
brain  from  congestion  of  its  blood  vessels ;  or  by  an  effusion  of 
blood,  or  serum,  (water,)  into  some  portion  of  the  cranial  cavity  ; 
or  from  tumors,  which  compress  some  portion  of  the  medullary 
substance  of  the  brain.  Congestion,  and  subsequently  effu- 
sion, may  be  brought  on  in  subjects  predisposed  to  the  disease, 
by  any  thing  that  determines  the  afflux  of  blood  to  the  head ;  or, 
in  other  words,  by  any  thing  that  disturbs  the  equilibrium  of  the 
circulation,  and  prevents  the  free  return  of  blood  from  the  brain. 

There  are  various  exciting  causes  which  tend  to  produce  san- 
guineous apoplexy ;  for  although  the  immediate  cause  seems  to 
be  an  excess  of  blood  in  the  vessels  of  the  brain,  this  may  be 
brought  about  by  an  overloaded  state  of  the  prirooe  via?.*  In 
such  cases  the  symptoms  somewhat  resemble  those  of  stomach 
staggers ;  the  animal  appears  drowsy,  feeble,  and  is  constantly 
hanging  or  resting  his  head  in  the  crib. 

When  apoplexy  proceeds  from  fluid  within  the  ventricles  of  the 

*  The  stomach  and  intestinal  tube  are  so  called. 


44  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

brain,  besides  other  symptoms,  there  is  a  disposition  to  rear  up 
or  fall  backwards,  when  any  one  attempts  to  handle  the  head. 

Should  apoplexy  proceed  from  tumor  within  the  cranium,  it 
seldom,  if  ever,  admits  of  perfect  recovery. 

Symptoms  of  Sanguineous  Apoplexy.  —  The  horse  generally 
falls  down  suddenly,  and  remains  in  a  state  of  insensibility ;  the 
breathing  is  laborious,  the  eyes  are  fixed,  glassy,  and  amaurotic; 
the  membranes  of  the  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth  are  highly  injected, 
ofttimes  of  a  purple  color ;  the  veins  of  the  neck  are  distended, 
the  pulse  is  strong,  full,  and  slow ;  the  whole  muscular  system  is 
occasionally  affected  spasmodically,  and  the  limbs  are  icy  cold. 

Treatment. —  Our  first  business  is  to  endeavor  to  arouse  ther 
patient  out  of  his  lethargy.  Some  strong  spirits  of  hartshorn 
should  be  held  to  the  nostrils,  while  one  or  two  persons  are 
engaged  in  rubbing  the  external  surface  with  stimulants ;  mus- 
tard and  vinegar  must  be  used  pretty  freely  to  the  limbs,  followed 
with  hard  rubbing  and  stimulating  injections.  If  through  these 
means  we  should  be  successful  in  bringing  the  patient  to  a  state 
of  consciousness,  the  next  object  should  be  to  evacuate  the  bow- 
els :  our  usual  drench  in  such  cases  is, 

Powdered  aloes, 6  drachms, 

"  assafcetida, 2      " 

"  lobelia, 3      " 

To  be  mixed  in  warm  water,  sufficient, 

Before  this  drench  is  administered,  the  practitioner  must  sat- 
isfy himself  that  the  patient  has  so  far  recovered  as  to  be  able  to 
swallow,  or  the  medicine  may  prove  a  death  warrant.  If  the 
apoplectic  fit  be  only  the  effect  of  plethora  from  high  feeding  and 
want  of  proper  exercise,  this  treatment  will  generally  succeed. 
We  have  had  occasion,  however,  in  a  few  cases,  to  follow  up  the 
drench  with  salts,  dissolved  in  a  bucket  of  water,  which  our 
patients  generally  drank.  The  after  treatment  consists  in  feed- 
ing the  animal  with  great  care ;  and  the  best  means  to  prevent  a 
recurrence  is  to  let  the  animal  run  to  pasture. 

Dr.  White  refers  to  a  case  of  apoplexy  "  that  was  considered 
hopeless,  and  not  worth  any  further  attention ;  yet  as  it  was  sup- 
posed that  blood  had  been  effused  on  the  brain,  the  horse  was 
trepanned,   (a  portion  of  the  skull  removed,)  and  an  opening 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  45 

made  in  the  dura  mater,  or  outer  membrane  of  the  brain,  which 
was  immediately  followed  by  a  considerable  effusion  of  blood. 
In  about  ten  minutes  after  the  operation,  the  horse  got  up,  and 
being  led  to  his  stall,  began  to  feed  immediately.  He  continued 
apparently  well  for  several  days,  but  died  a  fortnight  after  the 
operation."  * 

Tracheotomy,  which  consists  in  making  an  incision  into  the 
trachasa,  and  then  introducing  a  hollow  tube  for  the  animal  to 
breathe  through,  has  received  the  advocacy  of  some.  On  p. 
26,  Hippopathology,  the  following  paragraph  occurs  :  "  Trache- 
otomy. On  no  animal  is  this  operation  practised  with  more 
facility  than  on  the  horse ;  neither  are  the  consequences  of  it 
such  —  though  it  may,  now  and  then,  leave  the  animal  a  roarer  — 
as  to  deter  us  from  practising  it  in  any  case  in  which  important 
benefit  is  likely  to  accrue  from  it.  Dr.  Physic,  of  Philadelphia, 
first  suggested  its  performance  in  hydrophobia  ;  and  Dr.  Marshall 
Hall  has  recently  advised  a  trial  of  it  in  cases  of  apoplexy.  His 
words  are,  '  In  apoplexy  from  congestion,  I  am  persuaded  that 
the  fatal  event  might  be  averted  by  the  timely  adoption  of 
this  measure  ;  the  patient  dies  of  asphyxia,  —  (cessation  of  the 
pulse,)  —  and  of  an  asphyxia  which  tracheotomy  would,  I  believe, 
jirevent.' " 

The  author  has  no  faith  in  the  trephine  for  the  cure  of  con- 
gestion, although  it  might  give  temporary  relief,  as  in  the  above 
case.  The  instrument  has  been  called  into  requisition  in  cases 
of  compression  of  the  brain,  from  fracture  of  the  skull,  and  with 
decided  benefit  to  the  patient ;  but  in  apoplexy  the  case  is  far 
different ;  the  blood  is  loaded  with  carbon,  the  respiratory  organs 
are  unable  to  imbibe  a  sufficiency  of  oxygen  to  decarbonize  it, 
and  therefore  if  we  were  to  remove  the  whole  of  the  skull  by 
trephine,  we  should  be  just  as  far  off  as  ever  in  unloading  the 
vital  current  of  its  defiling  burden.  There  is  no  way,  that  the 
author  knows  of,  by  which  the  blood  can  be  vitalized,  other  than 
that  which  takes  place  in  the  lungs  through  the  admission  of 
oxygen  ;  therefore  tracheotomy,  which  provides  for  a  due  supply 
to  the  lungs  of  pure  air,  holds  out  more  certain  advantages 
than  the  former  operation. 

*  "White's  Dictionary. 


46  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

VERTIGO.  —  (Megrims.) 

Horses  are,  now  and  then,  attacked  with  a  sort  of  giddiness, 
which  is  apt  to  come  on  while  going  fast ;  the  animal  all  at  once 
commences  shaking  his  head,  staggers,  reels,  and  stops  -short ;  if 
permitted  to  rest  a  while,  he  recovers,  and  travels  on  as  if  nothing 
had  happened. 

The  vertiginous  symptoms  are  very  apt  to  return ;  therefore  a 
horse  having  once  had  an  attack  must  be  managed  with  caution ; 
he  is  certainly  unsafe  for  either  saddle  or  chaise ;  but  with  due 
care  in  regard  to  stable  management  and  work,  he  might  be  used 
writh  some  degree  of  safety  in  a  four-wheeled  vehicle,  for,  if  then 
he  should  fall,  the  occupants  might  escape  without  injury,  other- 
wise they  would  not.  The  disease  is  generally  supposed  to  be 
connected  with  some  pathological  state  of  the  brain  or  nervous 
system,  and  must  therefore  be  considered  incurable  so  long  as 
that  organ  or  system  remains  in  a  pathological  condition. 

The  treatment  of  vertigo,  or  megrims,  as  it  is  sometimes  called, 
does  not  reflect  much  credit  on  us,  neither  is  it  at  all  times  satis- 
factory to  our  employers  ;  for  so  soon  as  the  horse  returns  to  work, 
the  same  causes  which  produced  a  previous  attack  are  again  in 
operation,  and  soon  produce  a  subsequent  one.  Our  first  object 
is,  to  act  on  the  digestive  surface  by  means  of  a  full  dose  of  physic. 
Some  mustard,  moistened  with  vinegar,  should  be  rubbed  along 
the  neck,  on  each  side,  near  the  head.  Some  practitioners  recom- 
mend setons  through  the  temples,  or  along  the  nape  of  the  neck ; 
others  blister  the  head.  Bloodletting  is  generally  resorted  to  for 
most  diseases  of  the  brain ;  with  what  success  the  reader  may  learn 
by  consulting  the  text  books.  The  practice,  however,  lacks  the 
sanction  of  the  new  school  and  our  own  humble  advocacy.  We 
have  seen  some  benefit  derived  from  the  daily  use  of  an  anti- 
spasmodic draught,  composed  of 

•     Powdered  gum  assafoetida, 1  drachm, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 2  drachms, 

Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

To  be  given  so  soon  as  the  bowels  have  responded  to  the  purge, 
and  to  be  continued  until  the  patient  appears  better. 

This  treatment  we  have  found  efficient  to  prevent  a  reattack 
for  a  longer  or  shorter  time,  depending,  however,  on  the  man- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  47 

ner  in  which  the  horse  is  kept  and  used.  Good  grooming,  light 
diet,  clean  stables  well  ventilated,  and  light  work,  are  among  the 
best  means  for  warding  off  an  attack  of  this,  which  is  generally 
considered  an  incurable  disease. 

"  By  vertigo  is  meant  a  chronic  disease  of  the  horse,  chiefly 
indicated  by  a  disturbance  of  the  sensitive  faculties,  occasioning 
derangement  in  the  ordinary  functions  of  life.  Much  that  is  in- 
correct has  been  written  regarding  the  seat,  properly  so  called, 
of  the  evil :  at  present,  most  veterinary  surgeons  are  agreed 
in  seeking  the  proximate  cause,  not  as  formerly,  in  the  brain,  but 
in  the  abdominal  organs,  and  in  considering  the  cerebral  affection 
as  purely  secondary.  The  vertigo  often  succeeds  acute  ence- 
phalitis, the  intensity  of  which  has  diminished  to  a  certain  degree ; 
but  very  frequently  also  it  comes  on  without  having  been  pre- 
ceded by  inflammation  of  the  brain.  It  recognizes  the  same 
causes  as  the  latter,  isolation,  confinement  in  hot  and  badly  aired 
stables,  cold,  extreme  fatigue,  blows  and  injuries  on  the  head, 
indigestion,  unwholesome  or  too  much  food  in  proportion 
to  the  exercise  taken.  The  fear  of  punishment,  especially  of 
the  whip,  occasionally  gives  rise  to  it  in  sensitive  and  irritable 
animals.  Some  horses  have  an  hereditary  predisposition  to  it, 
and  mares  are  considered  more  subject  to  it  than  stallions.  Fur- 
ther, it  is  scarcely  ever  observed  except  in  hot  weather,  and  as  it 
is  generally  at  the  beginning  of  summer  that  it  commences  to 
appear,  it  goes  away  always  in  autumn,  at  least  with  respect  to 
its  chief  symptoms.  These  are  the  following :  the  horse,  a  little 
before  lively  and  active,  begins  all  of  a  sudden  to  appear  heavy 
and  indolent ;  he  is  dejected,  and  prefers  to  keep  himself  in  the 
darkest  corner  of  the  stable,  eyes  dull,  look  fixed  and  stupid, 
eyelids  half  shut,  inattention  to  every  thing,  forgetting  even  him- 
self, and,  as  it  were,  asleep,  and  head  hanging  to  the  ground,  and 
resting  on  the  manger,  or  on  the  rack.  His  gait  is  heavy,  slow, 
and  unsteady  ;  he  raises  the  feet  very  high,  and  puts  the  entire 
sole  to  the  ground,  raising  and  letting  down  the  limbs  in  a  man- 
ner purely  mechanical,  and,  as  it  were,  unconsciously.  He  ex- 
hibits much  awkwardness  in  turning,  and  cannot  be  pulled  back 
except  by  depressing  the  head  very  much,  and  pushing  it  laterally. 
Generally,  also,  he  leans  on  one  side  in  walking.     To  maintain 


48  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

his  equilibrium  the  better,  he  places  the  fore  legs  beneath  the 
belly,  and  moves  his  ears  in  a  peculiar  manner,  and  backwards. 
According  as  the  disease  progresses,  he  becomes  less  and  less 
sensible  to  external  impressions  ;  mastication  is  performed  slowly ; 
he  takes  from  time  to  time  a  mouthful  of  food,  masticates  it, 
swallows  a  portion  of  it,  but  keeps  the  remainder  in  his  mouth. 
He  prefers  taking  his  food  off  the  ground  rather  than  in  any  other 
way,  and  when  drinking  he  plunges  his  head  into  the  water,  even 
above  his  nostrils.  During  and  after  some  rather  violent  move- 
ments, his  symptoms  become  much  aggravated,  and  the  signs  of 
complete  insensibility  become  more  and  more  marked.  The  ani- 
mal runs  on  quite  blind  till  some  obstacle  stops  him,  or  turns  round, 
or  remains  tranquil,  when,  with  his  head  depressed,  and  the  legs 
crowded  beneath  the  body,  without  being  able  to  change  this 
unusual  attitude  unless  assisted  to  do  so.  There  is  never  any 
fever :  the  pulse  is  often  from  ten  to  twelve  pulsations  slower 
than  in  the  normal  state. 

"  In  the  same  way,  also,  the  respiration  is  constantly  slow,  deep, 
and  frequently  of  a  sighing  character.  In  almost  all  cases  the 
tongue  is  foul,  and  the  mouth  dry  and  clammy.  With  respect  to 
treatment,  the  remedies  which  have  succeeded  best  with  me  are, 
camomile  (some  doses),  then  sulphur,  and  nux  vomica.  In  a 
particular  case  where,  independently  of  the  symptoms  peculiar  to 
vertigo,  the  conjunctiva,  tongue  and  mouth  were  more  yellow, 
the  horse  frequently  flexed  his  fore  legs,  seldom  lay  down,  faeces 
hard,  and  passed  but  little  urine.  I  obtained  benefit  from  the 
use  of  nux  vomica,  with  sulphur  as  consecutive  treatment.  Others 
used  pulsatilla  in  general :  however,  they  also  obtained  good 
effects  from  veratrum  album  in  many  cases  ;  nux  vomica  was 
employed  with  the  horse  inclined  to  the  left,  and  arnica  when  he 
leaned  to  the  right.  Several  horses  have  been  cured  by  means 
of  belladonna ;  and  one,  which  was  considered  as  lost,  was  saved 
by  giving  him  belladonna,  hyoscyamus  and  nux  vomica.  The 
utility  of  digitalis  and  opium  has  been  verified  in  slight  cases  of 
vertigo,  in  which  cases  benefit  has  been  derived  from  arnica. 
On  one  occasion  veratrum  album  was  prescribed  during  four 
days,  twice  a  day,  and  then  stramonium,  employed  in  the  same 
manner ;  on  the  filth  day  the  animal  was  cured.     It  is  always 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  49 

advisable  to  have  recourse  to  sulphur  as  consecutive  treatment." 
—  Veterinary  Homceopathy,  p.  127. 

CONCUSSION   OF  THE  BRAIN. 

The  bony  structure  —  which  encloses  the  cerebral  organs  — 
is  so  wisely  adapted  for  their  protection,  that  injuries  of  this  char- 
acter are  somewhat  rare :  a  very  few  cases  have  come  to  our 
knowledge  during  nine  years'  residence  in  Massachusetts  ;  but  we 
have  never  treated  but  one,  and  that  may  be  termed  a  mild  case. 
The  subject  was  a  bay  gelding,  nine  years  old,  blind  in  the  off  eye 
from  cataract ;  he  had  been  left  opposite  the  "  Revere  House," 
harnessed  to  a  furniture  wagon,  when  some  person  threw  a  lighted 
cigar  on  him ;  he  then  ran  across  the  street,  and  was  suddenly 
brought  up  by  striking  his  head  against  an  iron  railing ;  he  fell 
on  the  pavement,  and  lay  there  for  some  time  in  an  insensible 
condition,  almost  pulseless,  and  the  respiration  scarcely  discern- 
ible. He  was  unharnessed,  and  the  bystanders  attempted  to  raise 
him  up ;  but  he  had  lost  all  control  over  the  muscles  of  voluntary 
motion,  and  drooped  his  head  as  though  he  were  dying.  The 
horse  having  received  a  wound  just  above  the  left  orbit,  from 
which  the  blood  was  trickling  down,  it  was  supposed  that  the 
skull  was  fractured,  and  the  owner  was  just  thinking  about  de- 
spatching him,  when,  all  at  once,  he  rose  on  the  fore  legs  and 
squatted  on  his  haunches  like  a  dog.  After  remaining  in  this 
position  a  short  time,  and  making  fruitless  efforts  to  get  up,  he  at 
last,  under  assistance,  rose,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  trouble, 
reached  the  proprietor's  stable. 

Our  attention  having  now  been  called  to  the  patient,  we  found 
him  scarcely  able  to  stand;  pulse  about  50,  full  and  jerking; 
respiration  hurried  and  somewhat  laborious ;  the  body  bedewed 
with  a  cold  sweat ;  the  pupil  of  the  sound  eye  was  dilated ;  the 
head  drooping,  and  inclined  to  the  nigh  side.  On  exploring  the 
wound,  neither  fracture  nor  injury  to  the  bones  could  be  per- 
ceived ;  it  was  therefore  brought  together  by  stitches,  arid  dressed 
with  "  Turlington's  Balsam." 

So  soon  as  the  horse  had  been  rubbed  dry,  a  preparation,  con- 
sisting of  equal  parts  of  tincture  of  lobelia  and  capsicum,  was 


50  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

applied  along  the  back  and  to  the  chest ;  the  legs  were  hand- 
rubbed  until  reaction  took  place,  and  they  became  warm,  then 
bandaged.  A  cold  water  bandage  was  applied  to  the  head,  and 
the  body  covered  with  a  buffalo-skin. 

It  will  be  seen  by  this  preliminary  treatment  that  the  object 
was  to  equalize  the  circulation,  so  as  to  prevent  congestion  of  the 
brain  ;  and  in  furtherance  of  this  object,  a  stimulating  clyster  was 
administered,  all  of  which  seemed  to  have  a  good  effect. 

Not  thinking  it  prudent  to  risk  an  antispasmodic  draught,  the 
patient  was  placed  in  a  well-bedded  "  wide  stall,"  and  suitable 
directions  given  for  his  management  during  the  night. 

On  visiting  the  patient  next  morning,  the  symptoms  had  slightly 
improved,  and  he  drank  half  a  bucket  of  water  containing  twenty 
drops  of  the  tincture  of  arnica  ;  four  hours  afterwards  were  ad- 
ministered 

Powdered  aloes, 6  drachms, 

"         assafoetida,  ....     1  drachm, 
Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

He  took,  during  the  day,  a  small  quantity  of  scalded  shorts, 
forty  drops  of  tincture  of  arnica,  and  four  gallons  of  water. 

On  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  made  a  visit  to  the  patient ; 
found  him  with  the  head  still  drooping ;  the  parts  in  the  region  of 
the  wound  were  somewhat  tumified  and  hot ;  the  pulse  was  soft 
and  less  frequent ;  the  bowels  had  slightly  responded  to  the  medi- 
cine ;  in  short,  the  general  appearances  were  indicative  of  improve- 
ment. Directions  were  given  to  sponge  the  head,  more  particu- 
larly the  wound,  with  a  weak  mixture  of  arnica,  (one  ounce  of  the 
tincture  to  a  quart  of  water.)  The  diet  to  consist  of  thin  gruel. 
In  view  of  remote  counter  irritation,  a  paste,  made  of  mustard  and 
vinegar,  was  rubbed  on  each  side  of  the  chest. 

The  above  includes  about  all  the  treatment ;  the  mustard  was 
washed  off  the  next  day,  and  for  a  few  succeeding  ones  the  diet 
was  sparing  ;  the  head  in  the  mean  time  was  kept  bathed  when- 
ever it  became  hot.  The  patient  returned  to  work  about  a  fort- 
night afterwards. 

We  learned  from  the  owner  that  the  animal  had  been  in  his 
possession  about  five  years,  during  which  time  he  was  never  known 
to  lie  down,  nor  did  he  do  so  during  this  sickness. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  51 

It  may  be  of  some  service  to  the  reader  to  be  informed  that 
counter  irritants  should  not  be  resorted  to  in  the  early  inflamma- 
tory type  of  cerebral  disorder,  for  they  are  always  painful  to  the 
horse,  whose  skin  is  so  highly  sensitive,  and  the  stimulation  or 
irritations  are  always  reverberated  to  the  affected  organs,  and 
also  occasion  more  or  less  excitement  to  the  whole  system. 
Therefore  they  should  not  be  resorted  to  until  some  general  treat- 
ment has  been  adopted  ;  they  will  then  be  of  much  use  in  divert- 
ing the  internal  local  irritations  to  the  surface,  by  which  means 
the  internal  tissues  are  relieved. 

LETHARGY. 

This  is  a  mild  form  of  apoplexy,  and  arises  either  from  a  con- 
gested brain,  or  may  be  occasioned  by  an  overloaded  stomach. 

Gibson  says,  "  When  a  horse  falls  into  a  lethargy,  he  generally 
rests  his  head  with  his  mouth  in  the  manger,  and  his  poll  often 
inclined  to  one  side ;  he  will  shew  an  inclination  to  eat,  but  for 
the  most  part  falls  asleep  with  the  food  in  his  mouth,  and  seldom 
chews,  but  swallows  it  down ;  unless  he  is  roused,  he  presently 
falls  asleep  again.  If  a  horse  continues  any  time  in  this  state,  he 
falls  into  an  atrophy  or  general  decay."  The  best  remedy  for 
this  pathological  condition  is  a  long  run  at  grass.  Lethargy  is 
probably  only  another  name  for  sleepy  staggers,  (which  see.) 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  ARACHNOID  MEMBRANE  OF  THE 
BRAIN.  —  (Arachnoiditis.') 

This  membrane  is  situated  between  the  dura  and  pia  mater ; 
the  former  is  situated  within  and  next  the  cranium,  and  the  latter 
is  in  immediate  contact  with  the  brain ;  so  that  the  arachnoid 
membrane  lies  between  the  two,  and  extends  to  the  termination 
of  the  spinal  marrow.  It  is  a  very  difficult  affair  to  diagnose  cor- 
rectly a  disease  occurring  in  a  membrane  so  obscure  and  slightly 
organized  as  this  is  known  to  be,  and  it  requires  considerable 
stretch  of  the  imagination  to  conceive  how  this  membrane  can  be 
the  special  seat  of  inflammatory  action  without  involving  its  asso- 
ciate tissues,  and  even  the  brain  itself;  and  even  should  the  dis- 


52  TUfcl    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

ease  be  unaccompanied  with  inflammation  of  the  brain,  which  is 
rarely  the  case,  we  know  of  no  special  means  of  treating  it  other 
than  those  recommended  for  inflammation  of  the  brain.  A 
French  writer,  however,  informs  us  that  acute  arachnoiditis  is 
occasioned  by  loss  of  continuity,  or  lesion  of  that  membrane,  from 
which  result  staggers  and  water  on  the  brain. 


REMARKS  ON  AND  EXPLANATION  OF  VAPOR  BATH. 

The  following  cut,  representing  a  horse  in  a  vapor  bath,  will 
appear  somewhat  novel  to  Americans,  as  we  are  not  aware  that 
any  thing  of  the  kind  has  ever  been  got  up  in  this  country. 
Indeed,  Mr.  Percivall,  from  whose  work  the  illustration  and  ex- 
planations have  been  transcribed,  expresses  his  surprise  at  the 
introduction  of  this  apparatus,  even  at  so  early  a  day  as  the 
present,  in  a  country  too  where  improvements  are  continually 
progressing.  We  hope  that  ere  long  this  useful  article  may  be 
extensively  used  in  this  country,  for  every  practitioner  must 
have  occasionally  felt  the  need  of  it. 


EXPLANATION. 


a  represents  a  boiler  originally  erected  for  the  purpose  of  supplying  the 
infirmary  -with  hot  water  ;  c  is  the  main  pipe  issuing  from  the  top  of  the  boiler, 
receiving  the  steam,  and  conducting  it,  when  not  required  for  other  purposes, 
into  either  a  flue  or  the  open  air  at  b ;  e  and  /  are  branch  pipes  from  the  main 
one  (c),  f  being  that  which  conducts  the  steam  into  a  worm  (A),  winding 
through  a  condensing  trough  (g) ;  e  the  branch  pipe  which  conducts  the  steam 
(prevented  by  stop-cock  from  going  in  the  other  direction)  into  the  bath  : 
the  place  of  admission  (??)  being  on  one  side,  close  to  the  floor,  at  a  point  inter- 
mediate between  the  horse's  fore  and  hind  feet  while  standing  in  the  bath,  with 
his  head  outside  ;  m  is  the  bath,  being  a  horse  box,  such  as  is  used  for  embark- 
ing horses  on  board  of  ship,  with  the  addition  of  a  lining  of  flannel,  a  roofing 
of  hoops  and  tilting,  and  curtains  over  the  doors,  front  and  back,  to  prevent 
the  escape  of  steam.  The  box,  being  placed  upon  wheels,  serves,  besides  being 
used  as  a  bath,  for  the  transport  of' sick  or  lame  horses;  and,  having  doors  at 
both  ends,  and  a  movable  platform  for  the  horse  to  walk  in  upon,  is  in  general 
entered  without  any  great  deal  of  unwillingness. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


53 


54  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  RESPIRATORY  ORGANS  AND  AIR  PASSAGES. 

PINK   EYE   AND   HORSE   AIL*  —  (Influenza.) 

It  will  be  seen  that  very  little  idea  can  be  gained  of  the  nature 
of  the  disease  under  which  the  subject  suffers  from  the  above 
terms  ;  they  have  their  meaning,  however,  among  horse  dealers. 
Any  affection  of  the  respiratory  organs,  from  laryngitis  to  influ- 
enza, strangles  included,  are  all  considered  under  the  above  head 
by  some.  The  disease  we  propose  to  enlighten  the  reader  on  in 
this  article  is  influenza;  that  veritable  disease  which  usually 
attacks  green  horses,  as  they  are  called,  shortly  after  their  first 
introduction  to  city  life,  although  it  may  occur  in  the  country  as 
well  as  the  city.  The  time  of  its  appearance  is  generally  in  the 
spring,  when  horse  dealers  crowd  the  city  stables  with  sale  horses. 
This  is  the  most  trying  period  of  a  horse's  life,  and  generally 
tests  his  metal.  The  sudden  change  from  a  pure  atmosphere  to 
one  contaminated  with  ammoniacal  gases,  and  other  injurious  va 
pors,  also  the  change  of  food,  water,  and  habits,  are  calculated  to 
impair  the  health  of  even  an  old  stager,  whatever  might  be  their 
effect  on  a  young  horse.  If  he  can  withstand  these  incursions  on 
the  sanitary  laws  of  his  existence,  and  at  the  same  time  pass  safely 
through  an  attack  of  "pink-eye"  —  influenza,  —  and  come  out  right 
side  up,  his  owner  can  confidently  recommend  him  to  any  pur- 
chaser as  one  having  been  through  the  mill. 

We  do  not  wish  the  reader  to  confound  influenza  with  catarrh 
or  strangles,  {which  see ;)  although  influenza  may  finally  as- 
sume the  form  of  strangles,  or  end  in  a  bad  discharge  from  the 
nose,  chronic  cough,  &c,  and  in  inveterate  cases,  may  terminate 
in  glanders. 

The  principal  features  of  influenza  are,  that  it  appears  at  cer- 

*  These  terms  are  used  by  horsemen  in  New  England  to  denote  a  kind  of 
catarrh  or  influenza,  that  often  breaks  out  among  young  horses  at  particular 
seasons  of  the  year,  and  seems  to  rage  more  in  some  stables  than  others.  It 
is  the  general  opinion  that  all  horses  must  have  an  attack  of  this  sort  once  in 
their  lives.  Therefore  a  horse  that  has  once  had  it  is  considered  acclimated, 
and  his  owner  finds  a  more  ready  sale  for  him  than  for  one  that  has  not  had 
this  affection. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  55 

tain  seasons  of  the  year,  in  stables,  at  remote  points,  prevailing 
more  in  some  than  in  others.  When  once  it  breaks  out  in  a 
stable,  it  is  sure  to  effect  all  the  susceptible  subjects ;  sometimes 
it  creeps  from  stall  to  stall  in  a  slow  and  gradual  manner;  at 
others,  three  or  four  horses  will  be  attacked  all  at  once,  and  in 
the  course  of  a  few  days  all  the  new  comers  are  on  the  sick  list. 
Yet  if  the  stable  be  well  ventilated,  and  the  horses  properly  man- 
aged, both  as  regards  diet  and  exercise,  the  evil  day  may  be  put 
off  in  some,  and  others  may  have  so  light  an  attack  as  not  to 
occasion  any  alarm.  Many  thus  managed  are  known  to  run 
clear  for  years,  and  then,  on  coming  in  contact  with  the  infection, 
become  its  victims. 

Symptoms.  —  There  is  no  disease  that  assumes  so  great  a 
variety  of  symptoms  at  its  commencing  as  this  ;  still  there  are 
some  features  always  present  that  convince  us  of  the  nature  of 
the  disease  we  have  to  treat.  The  first  symptom  the  stabler 
notices  is,  that  the  horse  is  dumpish,  as  he  calls  it,  which  signifies 
debility.  This  is  a  remarkable  feature,  and  one  that  seldom,  if 
ever,  presents  itself  in  any  other  form  of  disease  so  early.  To  a 
casual  observer  the  horse  looks  as  if  he  had  been  sick  for  months. 
If  you  urge  him  to  move,  he  does  so  after  the  fashion  of  an  over- 
grown elephant.  The  eye  is  indicative  also  of  the  disease ;  its 
vessels  are  turgid,  have  an  arterial  red  appearance,  (this  has 
perhaps  led  to  the  term  pink  eye,)  the  lids  become  swollen,  and 
the  animal  shrinks  from  the  light  as  if  its  rays  caused  pain ;  the 
tears  trickle  over,  and  now  and  then  a  particle  of  purulent  or 
lymphy  matter  can  be  seen  in  the  angles  of  the  eye.  The  animal 
seems  unable  to  support  the  weight  of  his  head  ;  it  either  remains 
in  a  drooping  position,  or  he  rests  it  in  the  crib.  First  one  hind 
limb  and  then  the  other  swell,  become  infiltrated  with  fluid,  which 
constitutes  anasarca;  or  they  may  both  commence  to  swell  at 
once ;  in  fact,  other  parts  of  the  body  become  dropsical,  so  that 
the  patient  sometimes  more  resembles  an  elephant  than  a  horse. 
This  swelling  of  the  legs,  let  it  be  more  or  less,  is  considered,  in 
connection  with  the  other  features,  the  diagnostic  symptoms.  It 
is  very  different  from  that  tumefaction  which  we  observe  in  the 
limbs  of  many  horses,  occasioned  by  want  of  exercise,  &c.  It 
comes  on  suddenly,  affects  the  whole  limb,  groin,  and  sheath ; 


56  THE  MODERN  HOUSE  DOCTOR. 

the  latter  to  such  an  extent  as  to  cause  the  penis  to  protrude. 
The  hair  from  the  first  has  an  unhealthy  aspect  and  rough  feel ; 
the  ears,  nose,  and  limbs  are  cold  or  not,  according  to  the  stage 
of  the  disease.  The  appetite  is  poor  from  the  first,  and  any 
attempt  to  swallow  tells  us  that  the  throat  is  excessively  sore ; 
inspect  the  fauces,  and  they  will  be  found  inflamed;  the  tongue  is 
foul,  thickly  coated,  and  saliva  runs  freely,  although  not  always, 
for  in  many  cases  the  mouth  is  dry  and  feverish  ;  the  excrements 
are  voided  in  small  quantities ;  the  excretory  as  well  as  the 
secretory  functions  are  as  torpid  as  the  animal  himself.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  days  a  nasal  discharge  sets  up,  and  this  is  con- 
sidered a  favorable  crisis.  In  some  subjects,  however,  the  disease 
terminates  in  submaxillary  abscess ;  the  animal  sometimes  has  a 
troublesome  cough. 

These  are  the  main  features  of  this  form  of  influenza.  They 
vary  in  different  subjects,  both  in  the  mode  of  attack,  intensity, 
and  termination ;  and  in  the  progress  of  the  disease,  although 
self-limited,  it  depends  much  on  treatment,  and  still  more  on  the 
management  of  the  horse  during  his  sickness. 

Treatment.  —  Our  first  business  is  to  place  the  patient  in  a 
situation  where,  he  may  have  the  benefit  of  a  pure  atmosphere, 
(this  is  the  best  mediciue  for  the  lungs ;)  for  the  blood,  being 
loaded  with  carbon,  owing  to  its  languid  circulation,  requires 
pure  air  to  decarbonize  it.  The  body  is  to  be  clothed  according 
to  the  temperature  of  the  stable.  If  the  limbs  are  cold,  they 
should  be  well  rubbed,  and  if  any  difficulty  is  experienced  in  in- 
creasing their  temperature,  some  stimulating  liniment  should  be 
rubbed  on,  and  flannel  bandages  applied  if  necessary.  These, 
however,  must  be  omitted  when  the  limbs  become  anasarcous ; 
for  they  only  keep  the  parts  hot  and  feverish.  The  same  apply 
to  body  clothing;  the  natural  clothing  of  the  body  is  all  the 
animal  needs  in  the  febrile  stage,  provided  the  atmosphere  be 
comfortable. 

The  following  dose  should  be  given  early,  as  it  helps  to  clear 
out  the  digestive  cavity  of  all  morbid  material  :  — 

Sulphur, 5  drachms, 

Cream  of  tartar, 2        " 

Salt, 1  ounce. 

Mix,  with  flaxseed  tea,  for  a  drench. 


THi:    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  57 

We  find  from  experience  that  salt  has  a  good  effect  on  this 
disease,  and  therefore  generally  allow  the  patient  all  he 
will  eat. 

The  best  drink  for  the  patient  is  flaxseed  tea,  acidulated  with 
cream  of  tartar,  and  thickened  with  powdered  licorice.  Yet  if 
he  eat  much  salt,  which  is  often  the  case,  a  corresponding  thirst 
may  be  expected :  in  this  event,  we  see  no  good  reason  in  with- 
holding water,  provided  it  be  given  a  quart  or  two  at  a  time,  with 
the  chill  off,  although  warm  water  generally  excites  disgust  on 
the  part  of  our  patient,  and  he  will  often  go  thirsty  rather  than 
drink  the  nauseous  stuff,  which  would  at  almost  any  time  sicken 
a  dog.  As  regards  the  diet :  a  plethoric  horse  should  be  half 
starved,  both  in  view  of  reducing  his  fat  and  lessening  the  fever, 
which,  as  a  matter  of  course,  will  accompany  the  malady.  In 
fact,  sloppy  drinks  and  scalded  shorts  are  all  that  are  needed  in 
any  case,  until  the  disease  turns  for  the  better. 

Should  the  throat  be  sore,  let  it  be  rubbed  occasionally  with 
warm  vinegar  and  salt.  The  discharge  from  the  nostrils  must 
be  encouraged  by  steaming.  The  rectum  may  be  emptied  occa- 
sionally with  warm  soapsuds.  In  view  of  guarding  against  sub- 
sequent cough  and  debility,  we  give  the  following :  — 


Powdered  elecampane, 
"         pleurisy  root, 
"         licorice, 

Slippery  elm,     .     .     . 

Salt, 

Gentian, 


equal  parts. 


Dose,  1  ounce  daily. 

The  swollen  limbs  are  to  be  rubbed  frequently,  and  the  patient 
must  have  walking  exercise  as  soon  as  the  state  of  his  health 
permits. 

It  is  a  notorious  fact  that  there  is  no  disease  to  which  horses 
in  this  country  are  subject  that  has  opened  so  wide  a  field  for 
empiricism  as  this.  Every  man  has  his  favorite  remedy,  and 
often  applies  it  to  his  own  loss,  because  he  thinks  it  beneath  his 
dignity  to  employ  a  physician  to  treat  what  horse  dealers  con- 
sider a  simple  disease,  which,  however,  frequently  becomes  com- 
plicated from  want  of  knowing  when  to  do  nothing,  or  applying 
suitable  means  at  the  proper  time. 


58  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


SPASM  OF  THE  LARYNX. 

The  larynx  is  an  irregular  cartilaginous  tube  forming  the  upper 
extremity  of  the  windpipe,  and  is  the  organ  which  produces  that 
peculiar  sound  called  neighing ;  it  affords  free  passage,  in  its 
normal  state,  for  respiration,  and  also  attachment  for  numerous 
muscles.  Its  internal  cavity  is  protected  by  the  common  mem- 
brane termed  mucous,  which,  at  times,  becomes  the  seat  of  a  dis- 
ease known  as  laryngitis. 

Our  own  opinion  is,  that  the  spasm  may  arise  from  other  causes 
than  those  acting  directly  on  the  laryngeal  apparatus.  From  the 
symptoms  detailed  by  Surgeon  Haycock,  which  we  shall  here 
introduce,  it  seems  to  bear  some  analogy  to  laryngismus  stridulus, 
("croup"  of  the  human  family,)  and  that  which  is  here  termed 
spasm  may  result  from  a  nervous  affection  induced  by  indigestion  ; 
in  that  case  spasm  of  the  larynx  is  a  symptom  of  another  disease. 
What  some  might  term  spasm  of  the  larynx  may  result  from  some 
morbid  productions  within  the  larynx,  an  cedematous  swelling 
occurring  in  the  submucous  membrane  of  the  larynx,  as  in  cases 
of  violent  laryngitis,  may  give  rise  to  many  symptoms  noticed  by 
the  individual  just  named  ;  yet  a  morbid  production  of  this  char- 
acter could  not  with  propriety  be  called  spasm. 

The  history  of  laryngismus  stridulus  —  croup  —  is  as  follows: 
the  attack  comes  on  during  sleep ;  the  child  starts  suddenly ; 
struggles  for  breath ;  face  flushed,  and  swollen,  and  purple  ;  and 
after  repeated  efforts,  we  have  long  inspiration,  accompanied  with 
a  whooping  or  crowing  noise,  arising  from  obstruction,  not  spasm. 
It  makes  very  little  difference,  however,  whether  the  difficulty  of 
respiration  occur  from  spasm  or  obstruction,  since  the  treatment 
of  either  does  not  materially  differ,  that  is,  as  regards  present 
relief.  The  three  principal  means  of  cure  are  —  nauseants, 
counter  irritations,  and  lastly,  tracheotomy. 

Let  it  be  understood  that  this  treatment  applies  to  those  cases 
which  occur  from  internal  obstruction;  the  treatment,  of  course, 
must  vary  according  to  the  nature  of  the  case.  For  our  prin- 
cipal object  is  not  so  much  to  treat  spasm  of  the  larynx,  as  it  should 
be  to  discover  its  cause  —  that  removed,  spasm  will  cease.     That 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  59 

it  is  not  always  a  primary  disease  we  have  ample  testimony  from 
Mr.  Haycock's  own  pen:  see  Veterinary  Homoeopathy,  p.  1G7. 
"  The  causes  are  numerous"  &c.  "  It  may  arise  from  laryngitis? 
&c.  If  it  does  arise  from  laryngitis  and  other  affections,  it  is 
only  a  secondary  disease,  or,  as  Mr.  Percivall  says,  "symptomatic 
of  some  distinct  and  acknowledged  genus  or  species  of  disease." 

Symptoms  of  Spasm  of  the  Larynx.  —  "  The  symptoms  of  spasm 
of  the  larynx  are  of  so  evident  a  nature  as  to  warrant  me  in  say- 
ing that  they  declare  themselves,  and  that  too  in  the  most  decisive 
manner.  Sometimes  the  disease  manifests  itself  in  a  moment,  as 
it  were,  with  a  most  terrible  severity ;  the  animal  begins  to  gasp 
for  breath ;  the  eyeballs  protrude,  and  present  a  wild,  haggard 
appearance ;  the  nostrils  are  dilated  to  their  utmost  extent ;  the 
nose  is  protruded,  and  the  neck  is  carried  in  a  line  with  the  back  ; 
the  flanks  heave  with  most  excessive  violence,  and  every  time  the 
poor  beast  inspires  air,  a  sound  is  emitted,  which  will  vary  in  its 
character  and  intensity  according  to  the  vigor  of  the  spasm. 
Sometimes  it  will  be  loud  and  shrill,  sometimes  a  kind  of  scream, 
at  other  times  like  the  loud  twang  from  a  trumpet — or  it  may 
be  rasping,  snoring,  or  like  that  elicited  when  sawing  wood.  As 
the  disease  proceeds,  the  general  symptoms  become  more  violent 
—  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  mouth  assumes  a  purple  color; 
the  animal  becomes  partially  unconscious ;  he  rushes  wildly  from 
place  to  place,  as  though  seeking  in  vain  for  aid;  the  body 
becomes  suffused  with  a  streaming  perspiration;  at  last,  the 
spasm  is  either  suddenly  relieved,  which  is  very  rarely  the  case 
or  he  falls  heavily  to  the  ground,  struggling  for  a  few  moments, 
and  then  dies  completely  asphyxiated.  If  the  disease  supervene 
upon  an  inflammatory  attack  of  the  organ,  the  symptoms  in  such 
cases,  for  a  short  period  at  least,  will  most  probably  be  of  a  milder 
character.  A  partial  spasm  of  the  muscles  will  manifest  itself, 
which  may  exhibit  just  such  a  degree  of  violence  as  to  excite 
alarm,  and  nothing  more,  when  the  whole  will  gradually  subside, 
and  leave  the  patient  in  a  very  tranquil  state ;  in  a  short  time, 
however,  may  be  in  two  or  three  hours,  or  more  or  less  according 
to  circumstances,  it  again  commences,  and  continues  for  a  longer 
period,  or  it  goes  on  increasing  in  violence  until  either  relief  is 
afforded  surgically,  or  the  patient  dies." 


CO  THE    MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 

We  must  not  therefore,  as  already  observed,  consider  spasm 
of  the  larynx  in  all  cases  a  primary  affection,  for  we  know  that 
in  the  human  family  croup  is  often  associated  with  impaired 
nutrition,  and  well-marked  derangements  of  the  digestive  organs, 
and  all  attempts  to  cure  by  local  means  fail,  unless  aided  with 
pure  air  and  a  well-regulated  system  of  hygiene.  So  that  if 
impaired  nutrition  leads  to  spasmodic  diseases,  and,  reasoning 
from  analogy,  we  may  safely  conclude  that  it  does,  our  object  in 
the  treatment  should  be  to  restore  the  digestive  organs  to  their 
normal  state.  We  have  lately  read  a  paper  written  by  Dr.  Fer- 
guson, of  Dublin,  which  goes  to  show  that  spasm  of  the  larynx 
can  be  produced  at  will :  he  states,  he  administered  some  hydro- 
cyanic acid  to  several  frogs ;  after  death  he  examined  them,  and 
found  the  larynx  of  each  one  spasmodically  closed.  A  dose  was 
also  given  to  a  rabbit,  and  after  death  the  blood  vessels  of  the 
larynx  and  trachea  were  intensely  congested.  A  similar  state  of 
things  might  be  brought  about  in  the  horse,  by  the  use  of  similar 
poisonous  agents  ;  but  as  medical  treatment  would,  in.  cases  of  this 
kind,  fail,  it  is  unnecessary  to  write  any  thing  more  on  that  subject. 

Treatment.  —  It  has  been  hinted,  at  the  commencement  of  this 
article,  that  nauseants,  counter  irritants,  and  tracheotomy  are  the 
principal  agents  in  view  of  immediate  relief;  unfortunately,  how- 
ever, the  former  are  of  little  avail  unless  administered  early  — 
before  alarming  symptoms  set  in,  as  in  partial  spasm.  When  the 
patient  is  attacked  suddenly,  and  shows  all  the  worst  features  of 
the  disease,  he  can  only  be  relieved  by  a  surgical  operation  called 
tracheotomy.  The  operation  is  not  considered  a  dangerous  one, 
yet  the  services  of  a  qualified  person  are  indispensable ;  as  also 
in  cases  which  result  from  the  presence  of  morbid  growths  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  larynx,  surgical  skill  must  be  sought. 

It  is  proper,  in  all  cases  of  either  spasm  or  obstruction  existing 
in  or  about  the  larynx,  to  let  the  patient  inhale  the  vapor  of  hot 
water,  or  else  that  arising  from  medicated  water.  A  small  por- 
tion of  nitrous  ether,  dropped  on  a  large  sponge  previously  satu- 
rated with  hot  water,  and  held  up  to  the  patient's  nostrils,  may 
give  relief;  we  have  tried  this  article,  as  well  as  chloric  ether,  in 
cases  of  obstructed  respiration,  and  think  benefit  has  been  derived. 
Only  a  small  quantity  of  these  articles,  however,  can  be  used,  for 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  61 

in  excess  they  are  apt,  instead  of  relaxing,  to  produce  rigid  spasms 
of  what  are  known  as  the  vocal  cords.  In  administering  chloro- 
form to  animals  this  rule  holds  good,  for  we  have  invariably  found 
that  if  etherization  is  carried  beyond  a  certain  point,  a  tetanic 
spasm  of  the  muscular  tissues  is  the  result  —  which  is  only  reme- 
died by  removing  the  breathing  apparatus  for  a  short  time,  when 
the  muscles  soon  relax  and  become  pliable. 

Lobelia  is  considered,  also,  a  very  good  relaxant ;  it  is  extolled 
very  highly  by  some  physicians  for  the  cure  of  asthmatical  com- 
plaints, and  for  relaxing  rigid  parts ;  we  have  used  it  in  this  view 
for  a  number  of  years  on  all  classes  of  domestic  animals,  and  con- 
sider it  a  valuable  antispasmodic.  A  strong  infusion  of  lobelia 
can  be  brought  in  contact  with  the  horse's  nostrils  by  means  of  a 
sponge,  and  perhaps  prove  as  beneficial  as  ether.  All  sorts  of 
means  have  been  suggested  for  steaming  the  nostrils  ;  we  prefer 
the  sponge  to  any  other  contrivance,  for  hot  steam  (that  arising 
from  boiling  water  directly  applied)  will  tend  rather  to  inflame 
than  relax  a  part  already  in  an  irritable  state.  The  sponge,  being 
porous,  permits  cool  air,  in  the  act  of  respiration,  to  pass  through, 
mingle  with  the  hot  fluid  and  vapor,  and  thus  moderate  its  tem- 
perature. Counter  irritants,  applied  externally  in  the  region  of 
the  throat  and  chest,  are  generally  recommended ;  the  common 
hartshorn  liniment,  essence  of  mustard,  or  a  mixture  composed  of 
equal  parts  of  olive  oil,  tincture  of  capsicum,  and  lobelia,  are 
among  the  most  efficient  remedies  for  this  purpose.  The  lectum 
must  be  kept  empty  by  stimulating  clysters  ;  all  food  to  be  with- 
held until  the  worst  symptoms  are  past,  when  some  thin  gruel, 
sweetened  with  honey,  may  be  allowed. 

LARYNGITIS.  —  {Inflammation  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the  larynx.') 

The  membrane  which  lines  the  larynx  is  one  of  great  sensi- 
bility, and  prone  to  take  on  disease  of  an  acute  character,  from  a 
trifling  cause,  and  if  not  properly  attended  to  is  very  apt  to  result 
in  chronic  cough.  The  same  membrane  in  the  interior  of  the 
larynx  is  part  and  parcel  of  that  peculiar  to  the  trachea  and  other 
air  passages ;  yet  it  appears  to  be  more  sensitive  there,  as  well  as 
in  the  bronchial  divisions.  Mr.  White,  in  alluding  to  the  sensi- 
6 


62  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

bility  of  the  membrane  of  the  larynx,  and  the  comparative  insen- 
sibility of  that  portion  within  the  windpipe,  says,  "  This  I  have 
ascertained  by  opening  the  trachea,  introducing  my  finger,  and 
scratching  the  membrane.  I  did  the  same  with  a  bit  of  straw, 
which  the  horse  did  not  appear  to  feel ;  but  on  passing  it  up- 
wards, the  moment  it  touched  the  larynx,  the  most  violent  irri- 
tation and  coughing  was  produced.  I  have  tried  this  experiment 
several  times  with  the  same  result.  In  a  roarer,  where  I  found 
an  ulcer  in  the  larynx,  the  most  distressing  irritation  and  wheezing 
were  produced  whenever  the  horse  was  made  to  exert  himself, 
and  this  rendered  him  so  useless  that  he  was  killed.  In  another 
horse  that  was  glandered,  I  found  (after  death)  the  whole  of  the 
internal  membrane  of  the  trachea  ulcerated ;  but  this  horse  was 
not  observed  to  have  a  cough,  nor  was  he  a  roarer,  the  glanders 
being  the  only  seeming  disorder  he  labored  under." 

Symptoms. —  The  animal  generally  projects  the  head,  indicat- 
ing a  stiffened  neck ;  he  endeavors  to  bring  objects,  by  rotating 
the  eyes,  within  the  range  of  vision,  rather  than  by  moving  his  head. 
The  respirations  are  short  and  painful,  and  emit  a  labored  sound ; 
the  throat  and  sub-glands  are  tumefied,  but  not  so  much  in  -the 
early  as  in  the  latter  stages  of  its  inflammatory  type.  The  act 
of  swallowing  is  performed  with  difficulty  ;  sometimes  on  attempt- 
ing to  swallow  food,  or  even  water,  the  animal  will  be  seized  with 
a  fit  of  spasmodic  coughing,  really  distressing  to  witness.  The 
slightest  pressure  in  the  region  of  the  throat  will  excite  spasmodic 
coughing.  At  first  a  slight  cough  is  only  perceptible ;  but  as  the 
disease  progresses,  the  cough  increases,  until  it  becomes  hoarse 
and  feeble.  These  symptoms,  without  noticing  those  which  may 
occur  during  the  progress  of  the  affection,  are  sufficient  in  them- 
selves to  indicate  the  nature  and  seat  of  the  disease,  so  that  there 
need  be  no  mistake  about  it. 

Treatment.  —  In  all  cases  of  this  character  a  pure  atmosphere 
is  indispensable ;  the  diet  must  be  of  a  sloppy  character,  easy  of 
digestion,  and  containing  but  a  small  amount  of  nutriment.  The 
bowels  should  be  kept  soluble  with  cooling  saline  aperients ;  if, 
however,  they  can  be  so  kept  by  bran  mashes,  seasoned  with  salt, 
the  former  may  be  dispensed  with.  Some  apply  poultices,  em- 
brocations and  fomentations  to  the  throat,  neither  of  which  should 
be  continued  any  length  of  time  unless  they  give  immediate  relief; 


THE  MODERN  HOB  BE  DOCTOR.  03 

for  let  it  be  remembered  that  the  animal  may  suddenly  expire 
.  from  suffocation,  in  his  efforts  to  breathe.  In  cases  of  an  alarm- 
ing character,  such,  for  example,  as  when  the  mucous  membranes 
are  infiltrated,  or  tumefied,  or  the  laryngeal  cavity  occupied  by 
morbid  secretion,  recourse  must  be  had  to  bronchotomy,  or  trache- 
otomy, either  of  which  terms  serves  to  designate  the  nature  of  the 
operation.  It  consists  in  making  an  opening  into  the  windpipe, 
and  introducing  through  it  a  tube,  so  that  the  lungs  are  inflated, 
without  the  air  having  to  pass  through  the  laryngeal  channel. 
The  operation  is  both  safe  and  practicable,  for  it  is  seldom,  if 
ever,  attended  with  bad  results. 

This  operation,  however,  should  only  be  resorted  to  when  the 
danger  of  suffocation  is  imminent ;  and  then  the  breathing  tube 
ought  to  be  removed,  the  wound  closed,  and  the  integuments 
brought  together  by  stitches,  just  so  soon  as  the  horse  shows  signs 
that  the  danger  is  past. 

We  have  found  water,  cold  or  warm,  as  the  season  permitted, 
very  good  for  relieving  acute  laryngitis,  applied  by  means  of 
sponges  to  the  throat. 

In  chronic  cases,  when  the  glandular  organs  around  the  throat 
are  swollen,  a  stimulating  liniment  will  be  indicated,  which  should 
be  rubbed  in  night  and  morning,  the  animal  to  have  a  nutritious 
diet,  and  to  be  drenched  as  follows :  — 

Balsam  of  fir, 1  ounce, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,    ...     2  ounces. 
Sirup  of  garlic, 4  ounces. 

Mix.     Dose. — One  sixth  part  to  be  given  every  night  in  a  pint 
of  thin  gruel. 


INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LUNGS. 

PNEUMONIA. 

Mr.  Percivall  uses  the  word  "pneumony,"  instead  of  pneu- 
monia, "to  express  either  a  state  of  congestion  or  of  inflammation 
in  the  lungs."  The  disease  may  be  in  the  congestive  or  inflam- 
matory stages,  simple  or  complicated,  involving  the  bronchia,  or 
pleural  membranes,  either  the  one  or  the  other ;  acute  and  s*l>- 


64  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

acute  are  also  terms  applied  to  this  disease,  but  these  terms  have 
merely  reference  to  the  stage  or  intensity. 

Symptoms  of  Congestive  Pneumonia.  —  "  In  the  worst  cases  of 
this  kind,  the  animal  is  all  over  in  a  tremor;  a  cold  sweat  be- 
dews his  body ;  there  is  no  pulse  to  be  felt ;  his  extreme  parts 
betray  the  coldness  of  death  ;  his  eye  is  frightfully  wild  ;  and, 
together  with  the  boring  of  head  and  stupidity  evinced  by 
him,  clearly  denote  the  poor  sufferer  to  be  laboring  under  a  spe- 
cies of  delirium.  Should  this  state  of  congestion  come  on  in  the 
stable,  gradually,  and  some  time  after  the  cause  is  applied,  the 
horse  will  show  it  by  appearing  dull,  listless,  heavy  headed,  and 
off  his  appetite ;  his  respiration  will  gradually  become  more  dis- 
turbed and  oppressed,  indicating  much  more  of  labor  than  of 
pain.  The  pulse  will  be  full  and  quick,  but  probably  so  feeble 
as  hardly  to  be  perceptible.  The  ear,  applied  to  the  chest,  de- 
tects no  sound ;  the  usual  respiratory  murmur  is  lost.  The  ex- 
tremities —  the  legs  and  ears  —  have  a  cold,  death-like  feel ;  and 
in  extreme  cases,  the  mouth  is  cold  also,  and  the  pupils  more  or 
less  dilated.  Cold  sweats  supervene;  no  pulse  is  to  be  felt ;  the 
animal  gradually  sinks,  and  in  convulsions  and  delirium  dies." 

Symptoms  of  Inflammatory  Pneumony.  —  "  The  symptoms  will 
be  such  as  are  observed  at  the  beginning  of  common  fever  and 
other  inflammatory  diseases,  such  as  staring,  or  erection  of  the 
hair,  and  cold  extremities,  followed,  perhaps,  by  actual  rigor ;  the 
horse  '  hangs  his  head '  either  in  or  under  the  manger,  and  has 
not  eaten  his  last  meal ;  has  had  for  some  days  a  short,  dry 
cough,  which  comes  on  when  he  is  exercised,  or  after  drinking  ; 
and  is  dull  and  dejected  in  countenance,  and  moves  with  great 
disinclination.  To  this  succeed  fever,  quickness  of  pulse,  and 
heat  of  mouth,  and  injection  of  the  membranes  of  the  nose 
and  eyes  ;  and  now,  in  the  second  stage,  the  breathing  becomes 
disturbed,  and  the  case  quickly  develops  itself.  The  nostrils 
will  be  seen  opening  and  shutting  their  wings  ;  the  flanks  labori- 
ously working  up  and  down  ;  for  the  disturbed  breathing  will  be 
of  a  kind  to  indicate  embarrassment  or  oppression,  rather  than 
sickness  or  pain  ;  whereas  in  subacute  cases,  the  flanks  can  hard- 
ly be  seen  to  move  at  all ;  then  it  is  that  the  nostrils  become 
an  important  guide  to  us.     The  pulse,  at  the  beginning,  is  ac- 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  b-> 

celerated,  and  commonly  distinct ;  but,  as  the  disorder  proceeds, 
it  is  very  apt  to  grow  indistinct  from  fulness  and  oppression  ; 
from  which,  however,  it  recovers  by  loss  of  blood,  and  then  again 
becomes  perceptible,  and  often,  compared  to  what  it  was  before, 
possessed  of  strength ;  the  ears  and  legs  are  colder  than  ever ; 
the  membrane  of  the  nose  is  moist  and  reddened,  and  there  is 
often  to  be  perceived  a  sparing  yellow,  slimy  issue  from  one  or 
both  nostrils.  The  horse  stands  constantly  in  the  same  place 
and  posture,  often  with  his  fore  legs  stretched  out,  and  prefers 
having  his  head  directed  either  to  the  door,  or  to  any  open  win- 
dow there  may  be.  He  never  offers  to  lie  down  ;  but  from  time 
to  time  casts  a  look  backwards  at  his  heaving  flank,  of  a  peculiar 
desponding  character,  which  the  experienced  practitioner  does 
not  fail  to  recognize.  The  third  and  last  stage  is  characterized 
by  the  respiration  becoming  quicker  and  more  oppressed ;  the 
pulse  also  quicker,  but  less  distinct ;  the  coldness  of  the  extremi- 
ties continuing  unrelieved  ;  the  membrane  of  the  nose  changing 
from  red  to  a  leaden  hue  ;  convulsive  twitchings  of  the  muscles 
of  the  surface  ;  extreme  uneasiness  ;  lying  down  and  rising  again  ; 
reeling  in  his  gait ;  haggard  countenance ;  delirium  ;  convulsions  ; 
death."  —  Hippopathology,  vol.  ii.  p.  79-81. 

The  causes  of  this  derangement  are  various :  any  thing  which 
suppresses  the  natural  evacuations  of  the  system  will  produce  it. 
Among  the  chief  causes  are  want  of  pure  air,  insufficient  exer- 
cise, exposure  to  cold,  plethora,  and  uncleanliness.  The  derange- 
ment may,  however,  be  excited  by  causes  varying  in  their 
general  character.  A  horse  may  be  driven  a  long  distance  after 
having  stood  for  several  days  in  the  stable  without  proper  exer- 
cise. The  lungs  are  suddenly  brought  into  active  operation  — a 
part  they  are  not  well  calculated  to  perform  after  long  rest. 
They,  like  the  muscular  or  nervous  systems,  require  constant, 
yet  judicious  exercise,  in  order  that  they  shall  maintain  their 
physiological  relations ;  and  this  explains  the  reason  why  so 
many  horses  are  attacked  shortly  after  a  smart  drive. 

Mr.  Percivall  says,  "  He  that  has  clean  and  cool  stables  will 

have  a  healthy  stud,  and  the  converse  of  this  will  never  fail  to 

engender  disease.     Above  all  other  considerations,  then,  in  taking 

the  colt  from  his  natural  state,  it  behooves  us  to  guard  him  from 

6* 


GO  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

the  vicissitudes  of  cold  and  heat,  and  to  keep  him  in  an  atmos- 
phere as  pure  as  that  of  which  we  have  just  deprived  him.  .  . 
Horses  of  any  age,  but  above  all  young  horses,  should  never 
be  exposed  to  a  heated  air ;  they  may  be  warmly  clothed,  and 
even  with  advantage  be  kept  in  moderately  warm  stables,  but 
they  ought  never  to  respire  a  hot  and  stimulating  atmosphere. 

"  The  next  circumstance  to  be  attended  to,  in  order  to  preserve 
the  health  of  a  horse  recently  domesticated,  is  exercise.  Com- 
pelling the  animal  at  once  to  perform  such  exercise  as  comes 
under  the  denomination  of  work,  is  merely  subjecting  him  to  the 
invasion  of  disease,  and  of  disease  most  probably  of  the  organs  of 
respiration ;  hence  the  old  observation,  '  A  young  horse  ought 
never  to  be  sweated  in  his  exercise.'  Numberless  horses,  not  only 
young  ones,  b'ut  of  all  ages,  are,  from  want  of  consideration  on  the 
part  of  their  owners,  killed  in  this  way  in  the  course  of  a  year. 
A  person  purchases  a  young  horse  of  a  dealer,  who,  most  likely, 
has  had  him  for  some  weeks,  during  which  time  the  animal  has  been 
getting  fresh,  as  the  dealers  call  it ;  i.  e.,  he  has  been  pampered 
with  all  possible  care,  fed  as  if  he  were  put  up  to  be  fattened  for 
the  butcher,  and  little  or  not  at  all  exercised :  suddenly,  the 
horse,  by  way  of  trial,  is  made  to  perform  by  his  new  master 
what  he  calls,  and  to  another  would  have  been,  but  moderate 
work,  but  what  in  this  case  is  excessive  exertion ;  and  the  con- 
sequence is,  that  the  animal  is  attacked  with  pneumonia,  and  dies 
in  the  course  of  forty-eight  hours.  It  is  of  the  utmost  conse- 
quence, therefore,  to  attend  to  this  circumstance;  if  the  horse  be 
young,  we  cannot  be  too  gentle  with  him  in  regard  to  his  exer- 
cise, for  at  this  period  he  is  totally  unfit  for  work. 

"...  Though  a  horse  newly  purchased  of  a  dealer  is 
one  whose  age  indicates  that  he  is  able  to  work,  still,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  having,  probably,  been  kept  in  a  state  of  inactivi- 
ty, a  proper  regimen  will  be  required  to  put  him  even  in  actual 
condition  for  hard  work.  Hunting  a  horse  with  others,  under 
such  circumstances,  is  like  matching  a  man  nursed  in  the  lap  of 
indolence,  to  contend  with  a  pugilist  in  hard  and  continual 
training." 

Inflammation  of  the  lungs  is  generally  ushered  in  with  a  shiv- 
ering fit,  succeeded  by  superficial  heat  of  the  body  and  cold  ex- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  67 

tremities.  These  symptoms  are  accompanied  by  a  quick  pulse ; 
respiration  short,  quick,  and  laborious.  The  movement  at  the 
flanks,  termed  abdominal  respiration,  is  marked,  generally,  by  a 
degree  of  regularity  indicative  of  the  oppressive  state  of  the 
organs  of  respiration.  As  the  disease  progresses,  the  ears,  nose, 
and  legs  have  an  icy  coldness  ;  the  animal  assumes  a  position 
that  "will  expand  the  thorax;  the  head  and  neck  are  extended ; 
nostrils  dilated  ;  the  fore  legs  are  stiffened  and  stretched  out, 
and  the  disease  frequently  terminates  in  engorgement  of  the 
lungs,  and,  more  frequently  in  tliis  country  than  in  any  other, 
effusion  into  the  thorax. 

Mr.  Percivall  (Lect.  xxxviii.  p.  323)  makes  some  very  inter- 
esting remarks  in  connection  with  pneumonia,  which,  although 
intended  for  the  meridian  of  London,  are  applicable  to  this 
country.  He  says,  "  Pulmonary  disease  runs  its  course  now  and 
then  with  surprising  rapidity.  I  have  known  a  horse  to  be  at- 
tacked with  acute  pneumonia,  and  to  die  from  it  in  the  space  of 
seventeen  hours  ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  uncommon  for  it  to  prove 
fatal  on  the  second  or  third  day  from  its  onset.  Ignorance  of 
this  fact  has  led  to  the  institution  of  many  lawsuits,  and  to  some 
oppressive  judicial  arbitrations  for  horse  dealers  ;  e.  g.,  a  gentle- 
man purchases  a  young  horse,  warranted  sound,  and  the  next 
day,  or  the  day  after,  rides  or  drives  the  animal,  unprepared  for 
fatigue,  and  consequently  unable  to  bear  it,  by  way  of  trial ;  the 
day  following  this  trial,  or  rather  ordeal,  the  horse  refuses  his 
food,  blows  a  little,  and  soon  after  manifests  a  severe  attack  of 
pneumonia,  of  which,  within  a  few  days  or  weeks  from  his  pur- 
chase, he  dies.  An  action  is  immediately  brought  against  the 
dealer.  Some  blundering,  ignorant  farrier,  on  the  part  of  the 
plaintiff,  swears  that  the  animal,  when  opened,  was  found  '  as 
rotten  as  a  pear,'  and  that  he  must  consequently  have  been  dis- 
eased long  before  he  icas  bought.  The  result  is,  that  the  dealer  is 
cast,  and  the  gentleman  recovers  his  money.  Now,  in  the  gen- 
erality of  these  cases,  the  very  reverse  of  this  is  the  absolute 
truth  ;  the  animal  was  perfectly  sound  at  the  time  of  purchase, 
and  was  made  otherwise  solely  by  the  exertion  his  purchaser  put 
him  to  ;  and  so  far  from  the  rottenness  of  the  lungs,  or  agglutina- 
tion of  them  to  the  sides  of  the  chest,  being  proofs  of  the  contra- 


68  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

ry,  I  have  seen  the  one  produced  in  seventeen  hours,  and  know, 
from  extensive  observation,  that  the  other,  viz.,  blackness  and  en- 
gorgement of  them  with  blood,  or  something  like  an  approach  to 
mortification,  (for  rottenness  is  an  expression  that  has  here  no 
definite  meaning  whatever,)  may  take  place  in  the  course  of  four 
and  twenty  hours.  Indeed,  when  pneumonia  proves  fatal,  it 
most  commonly  does  so  in  the  course  of  the  first  three,  or  four,  or 
five  days  ;  if  it  continue  beyond  this,  or  there  be  any  remission, 
it  is  always  a  favorable  indication.  In  these  cases,  the  lungs 
themselves,  as  I  have  just  stated,  are  found  nearly  black,  of  the 
color  of  the  darkest  venous  blood,  with  which  they  are  pro- 
digiously glutted ;  the  pleura  also  displays  a  surface  highly  vas- 
cular, and  adhesions  are  occasionally  discovered  upon  it." 

The  hot,  moist  atmosphere,  which  is  to  be  found  in  the  majority 
of  unventilated  stables,  prevents  the  insensible  perspiration  from 
being  evaporated  with  that  rapidity  so  necessary  for  the  purifica- 
tion of  the  system.  The  atmosphere  may  be  said  to  be  saturated 
with  moisture,  so  that  the  excrementitious  materials  thrown  out 
from  the  external  surface,  instead  of  finding  a  ready  outlet  in 
space,  where  they  would  be  soon  decomposed  and  again  made 
fit  for  respiratory  uses,  are  condensed  on  the  surface,  and  reab- 
sorbed in  their  defiling  state.  It  has  been  discovered  by  a  number 
of  experiments,  that  when  warm-blooded  animals  are  placed  in  a 
hot  atmosphere,  saturated  with  moisture,  the  temperature  of  their 
bodies  is  gradually  raised  12°  or  13°  above  the  natural  standard, 
and  that  the  consequence  is  then  inevitably  fatal.  Let  it  be  under- 
stood, then,  that  no  evaporation  from  the  skin  can  take  place  when 
the  stable  atmosphere  is  saturated  with  vapor,  and  also  that  if  this 
be  the  case,  the  heat  of  the  body  increases,  rather  than  decreases  — 
a  condition  which  places  our  patient  beyond  the  reach  of  the  veter- 
inary art.  A  peculiar  feature  in  the  treatment  of  inflammatory 
pneinnony  is,  to  withdraw  heat  from  the  body  by  evaporation.  It 
is  well  known  that  a  profuse  exhalation  from  the  surface  fulfils  all 
the  indications  that  are  contemplated  in  the  use  of  the  fleam,  and 
the  practice  is  more  rational  and  less  prostrating.  A  large  quan- 
tity of  solid  animal  matter,  besides  other  secretions,  is  carried 
out  of  the  system  by  the  skin,  and  the  patient  is  thus  relieved. 
"  That  which  is  called  the  hydropathic  system  proceeds  upon 
the  plan  of  increasing  the  cutaneous  exhalation  to  a  very  large 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  69 

amount ;  and  there  seems  much  evidence  that  certain  deleterious 
matters,  the  presence  of  which  in  the  blood  gives  rise  to  various 
diseases,  are  drawn  off  from  it  more  speedily  and  certainly  in  this 
way  than  in  any  other." 

It  has  been  a  universal  custom  to  resort  to  the  lancet,  in  the 
cure  of  this  disease.  From  time  immemorial,  the  most  talented 
of  the  profession  have  invariably  resorted  to  the  fleam,  as  their 
sheet  anchor,  in  the  treatment  of  this,  one  of  the  most  destructive 
in  the  catalogue  of  veterinary  diseases.  We  object  to  the  deple- 
tory system,  for  we  have  no  idea  of  bleeding  a  horse  to  death  with 
a  view  of  saving  life.  If,  as  it  frequently  happens,  in  this  disease, 
the  lungs  are  congested,  and  the  abstraction  of  blood  will  promote 
the  free  and  full  circulation  of  that  which  remains,  then  there 
might  be  some  excuse  for  bloodletting.  It  will  be  urged  that 
horses  do  get  well  after  being  bled ;  but  this  is  no  proof  of  its 
utility.  On  the  contrary,  it  goes  to  show,  as  in  the  case  where  a 
horse  receives  a  violent  blow  on  the  head,  by  which  the  skull  is 
fractured,  and  he  recovers,  that  his  health  is  restored  in  spite  of 
the  violence  done.  Blood  is  the  fuel  that  keeps  the  lamp  of  life 
burning  ;  it  is  the  sum  of  the  powers  that  resist  disease.  "  With- 
out blood  there  is  no  heat,  no  motion  in  the  body  ; "  its  abstraction 
leaves  the  various  organs  less  capable  of  self-defence.  But  there 
are  other  reasons  why  we  object  to  the  use  of  the  lancet ;  and  the 
first  is,  the  disease  can,  if  curahle,  be  cured  without  abstracting 
blood. 

Secondly.  In  every  disease  wherein  bleeding  has  been  re- 
sorted to,  complete  recovery  has  been  protracted,  and  the  animal 
manifests  the  debility  by  swollen  legs,  and  other  unmistakable 
evidences  of  derangement  of  the  normal  condition. 

Thirdly.  Because  the  letting  of  blood  impoverishes  that 
which  remains  in  the  system,  and  leads  to  other  equally  danger- 
ous diseases  as  the  one  it  was  intended  to  cure. 

We  are  aware  that  our  uncompromising  opposition  to  the  use 
of  the  lancet,  in  the  treatment  of  pneumonia,  will  subject  us  to 
the  sneers  of  its  advocates,  who,  by  the  by,  are,  generally  speak- 
ing, a  hundred  years  behind  the  age ;  their  dogmas  are  to  them 
what  the  laws  were  to  the  Medes  and  Persians.  But  some  con- 
solation is  afforded  us  in  the  fact  that  there  never  was  a  new 
science  but  was  opposed   by  seme.     The  science  that    Harvey 


70  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

labored  to  discover  was  bitterly  opposed,  even  by  professional 
men.  Galileo,  Newton,  Franklin,  and  Fulton — indeed,  a  host 
of  men  of  kindred  genius  —  have  been  assailed  and  pronounced 
the  humbugs  of  their  day.  But  what  care  we  for  censure  when 
engaged  in  this  glorious  work  of  reform  ?  If  we  can  only  arrest 
the  stream  of  blood  that  is  now,  in  consequence  of  an  evil  system 
of  medication,  flowing  from  the  veins  of  our  domestic  animals,  we 
shall  have  done  a  good  work ;  and  persecution,  from  whatever 
source,  only  stimulates  us  to  greater  exertion.  We  have  but  to 
thank  God  that  we  are  in  enlightened  America  —  among  a  nation 
of  scholars,  where  men  delight  to  honor  even  a  Spurzheim,  one 
whom  the  nations  of  the  old  world  denominated  a  fool.  The 
American  people  have  testified  their  approbation  of  his  worth  by 
erecting  in  Mount  Auburn  Cemetery  a  monument  to  his  memory. 
Hence  our  lot  is  cast  " in  pleasant  places"  and  our  work  is  a 
comparatively  light  one,  to  what  it  would  have  been  in  any  other 
country. 

Treatment  of  Inflammation  of  the  Lungs.  —  Before  commen- 
cing the  treatment  of  this  malady,  the  horse  should  be  placed  by 
himself  in  a  shed  or  barn,  where  he  can  breathe  an  uncontami- 
nated  atmosphere ;  for  the  author  considers  it  a  matter  of 
impossibility  to  carry  a  case  of  inflammatory  pneumony  to  a 
successful  termination  in  an  atmosphere  such  as  we  find  pervad- 
ing some  of  our  city  stables.  In  this  disease  the  venous  blood  is 
of  a  black,  pitchy  character,  loaded  with  carbon,  a  defiling  mass, 
which  requires  pure  oxygen  for  its  decarbonization,  and  any  thing 
short  of  purity  is  not  admissible.  No  dependence  can  be  placed 
in  remedial  agents,  or  the  most  consummate  skill,  unless  seconded 
by  an  atmosphere  that  will  decarbonize  the  blood.  Having  then 
secured  a  pure  atmosphere,  in  a  situation  where  the  patient  shall 
be  free  from  annoyance  of  every  kind,  we  thus  commence  the 
treatment:  Suppose  the  bowels  to  be  constipated,  extremities 
cold,  respiration  laborious,  &c,  take 

Powdered  aloes, 4  drachms, 

"  crawley  root, 2       " 

"  lobelia',  \  '    •    •    •     of  each  3  drachms, 

Honey, half  a  gill, 

Boiling  water, 1  quart. 

When  cool,  administer  from  a  bottle. 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  71 

Small  doses  of  ipecac  and  lobelia  may  be  given  occasionally  in 
thin  gruel,  in  view  of  relaxation  of  the  tissues.  Injections  must 
also  be  given. 

Many  practitioners  object  to  giving  fluid  in  a  case  of  lung 
fever,  for  fear  it  will  excite  the  animal.  Human  practitioners 
might,  with  the  same  propriety,  prohibit  their  fever  patients  (in- 
fants) having  medicine  forced  down  their  throats,  for  the  same 
reason ;  and  if  they  were  treated  in  the  same  rough  manner  as 
the  horse  is,  the  prohibition  would  be  judicious.  To  give  ahorse 
a  ball,  under  the  circumstances,  is  perfectly  absurd ;  we  might 
just  as  well  substitute  a  canister  shot ;  for,  before  the  former 
can  be  digested,  the  horse  is  about  to  kick  the  bucket. 

Having  administered  the  above  draught,  we  next  resort  to 
counter  irritants.  These  must  be  applied  particularly  to  the  legs, 
with  constant  hand  rubbing,  until  they  are  quite  warm ;  then  a 
flannel  bandage  is  to  be  applied  to  each  leg,  and  the  process  of 
rubbing  to  be  again  repeated,  should  they  again  become  cold. 
Every  drop  of  blood  thus  invited  and  retained  in  the  extreme 
vessels  is  so  much  gained  towards  relieving  the  congested  state 
of  the  lungs.     Our  usual  counter  irritant  is, — 

Oil  of  cedar, 4  drachms, 

Oil  of  sassafras, 2         " 

Dissolve  the  above  oils  in  a  wine-glass  of  alcohol ;  then  add 

Tr.  capsicum,  (or  hot  drops,) 1  pint. 

"With  a  view  of  promoting  the  insensible  perspiration,  the  ani- 
mal should  be  covered  with  suitable  clothing,  not  enveloped  in  a 
mountain  of  blankets,  or  butfalo  skins,  as  we  frequently  see  them ; 
but  a  single  blanket,  with  flannel  leggings,  will  probably  be  all 
that  is  needed,  even  in  cold  weather.  In  the  hot  season  a  linen 
covering  will  be  the  most  suitable.  Our  only  object  in  clothing 
the  animal  at  all,  is,  to  retain  the  insensible  perspiration  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  surface ;  we  then  have  the  materials 
(warmth  and  moisture)  which  are  generally  needed  to  keep  up 
the  relaxation  of  the  capillary  and  excrementitious  vessels  of  the 
external  surface. 

If  the  disease  is  seen  and  treated  according  to  the  above  rules, 
very  little  else  is  needed ;  for,  the  blood  by  this  means  being 
equalized,  there  can  be  no  congestions  any  where.  We  have 
then  only  to  maintain  the  equilibrium  of  the  circulation,  and  thi3 


72  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

can  generally  be  accomplished  by  an  occasional  drink  of  lobelia 
and  hyssop  tea;  one  ounce  of  each  to  a  quart  of  boiling  watei. 
"We  use  lobelia  in  the  same  view  that  veterinary  surgeons  use 
white  hellebore,  viz.,  for  producing  nausea  and  relaxation.  Mr. 
Percivall,  when  referring  (in  his  Lectures)  to  the  latter  article, 
says,  "  To  describe  the  operation  of  hellebore,  perhaps  I  cannot 
do  better  than  advert  for  a  moment  to  the  use  of  ipecacuanha, 
under  similar  circumstances,  in  the  human  subject.  That  sub- 
stance is  a  nauseant,  a  vomit,  and  a  sudorific,  and  is  highly  ser- 
viceable in  pneumonic  affections,  from  the  effects  it  manifests  in 
lowering  vascular  action  and  promoting  diaphoresis  and  expecto- 
ration. Much  in  the  same  way  white  hellebore  appears  to 
operate."  And  so  in  like  manner  does  lobelia  operate.  If  given 
to  a  healthy  cow  or  horse,  it  nauseates,  and  induces  a  profuse  Aoav 
of  saliva,  with  general  relaxation  and  prostration.  In  the  human 
subject  it  is  superior  to  all  other  emetics.  It  is  an  excitant  of  all 
the  secretions,  and  its  efficacy  in  pulmonary  diseases  is  beyond 
dispute. 

The  mild,  subacute,  inflammatory,  and  chronic  pneumonia 
maybe  treated  on  the  general  principles  here  laid  down;  yet 
chronic,  which  may  be  a  continuation  of  that  which  was  at  first 
inflammatory  and  dangerous,  sometimes  requires  nothing  more  in 
the  way  of  medicine  than  to  lubricate  the  respiratory  passages, 
which  are  often  left  in  an  irritable  state.  In  such  cases,  we 
recommend 

Powdered  pleurisy  root, 

"  elecampane, 

"  bloodroot, 

"  caraways, 

"  ginger, 

a  salt    ) 

"  elm'  (°feaca2  ounces, 

Linseed  meal,     ...     1  pound. 
Mix.     Divide  the  mass  into  sixteen  powders,  and  give  one  in  the 
food  night  and  morning. 


DROPSY   OF   THE    CHEST.  —  (Hydrothorax.) 

This  form  of  the  disease  is  almost  always  fatal. 
Case  of  Pneumonia,  terminating  in  Hydrothorax  and  Death 
—  The  subject,  a  gray  mare,  six  years  old,  had,  just  previous  to 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  73 

the  attack,  fallen  into  the  hands,  by  purchase,  of  Mr.  B.,  of  this 
cit y.  Nothing  particular  was  noticed  in  her,  until  the  appearance 
of  febrile  symptoms.  She  had  gone  well  —  to  the  satisfaction  of 
her  new  master.  She  was  in  fine  spirits,  and  had  a  good  appe- 
tite. On  the  17th  of  May,  she  was  suddenly  taken  with  a  fit  of 
shivering.  The  owner  ordered  her  to  be  warmly  clothed,  and 
have  a  stimulating  drench  administered.  By  the  aid  of  blankets, 
hand  rubbing,  and  medicine,  some  improvement  apparently  took 
place,  which,  however,  was  only  of  short  duration.  The  horse 
was  evidently  sick,  and  required  professional  skill.  On  the  18th, 
at  the  request  of  Mr.  B.,  we  proceeded  to  Maiden  to  visit  the 
patient,  and  found  her  standing  in  the  stall,  looking  rather  dull. 
The  pulse  was  over  sixty  —  respiration  quick  and  laborious;  the 
sclerotica,  conjunctiva,  and  nasal  membranes  were  highly  injected. 
The  ears,  nose,  and  legs  were  icy  cold,  yet  the  surface  generally 
was  hot,  and  the  fore  legs,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  were  stiffened 
out.  The  animal  was  rather  indifferent  about  food,  and  had  not 
lain  down  for  two  nights.  A  strong  application,  composed  of 
vinegar,  mustard,  and  black  pepper,  soon  had  the  effect  of  restor- 
ing heat  to  the  extremities,  which  were  then  bandaged.  A  por- 
tion of  the  mixture  was  also  applied  to  the  chest,  in  view  of  coun- 
ter irritation,  and  an  aperient  drench  was  given.  A  diet  of  cut 
grass  and  scalded  shorts,  and  warm  drinks,  was  ordered.  The 
disease  was  treated  in  the  usual  manner,  and  on  the  tenth  day 
after  our  first  visit,  she  lay  down,  and  appeared  so  much  improved, 
that  we  had  hopes  of  her  speedy  recovery.  She  was  now  per- 
mitted to  run  in  an  adjoining  pasture  for  two  or  three  hours 
during  the  day.  In  the  course  of  three  days,  she  appeared  so 
much  better,  that  we  directed  her  to  be  left  in  the  pasture  most 
of  the  day. 

On  the  6th  of  June,  Mr.  B.  called  on  us,  and  stated  that  the 
mare  was  not  so  well.  We  visited  her,  and  found  it  to  be  the 
case.  On  leading  her  out,  she  was  quite  unsteady  in  her  gait, 
and  walked  with  her  legs  wide  apart.  There  was  slight  cederna 
(dropsical  swellings)  of  the  breast  and  belly.  The  pulse  was 
sixty,  although  only  three  days  ago  it  was  but  forty.  The  respi- 
ration was  somewhat  distressing,  apparently  performed  by  the 
abdominal  and  intercostal  muscles.  The  respiratory  murmur  on 
7 


74  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

the  left  side  was  audible  ;  but  on  the  right,  there  was  an  absence 
of  all  sound.  The  ribs  seemed  to  be  elevated  at  each  inspiration. 
The  animal  had  a  distressing  look.  The  appetite  was  impaired, 
and  the  bowels  were  constipated ;  the  faeces  hard  and  slimy. 
Effusion  had  now  evidently  taken  place.  We  treated  the  animal 
in  the  most  judicious  manner;  at  least,  to  the  best  of  our  ability. 
Counter  irritants  were  applied  externally,  and  aperients,  diuretics, 
and  alteratives  internally.  The  horse  was  kept  free  from  excite- 
ment in  the  stall,  where  water  and  food  were  brought  to  her,  but 
all  to  no  purpose.  The  symptoms  rapidly  grew  worse.  From 
the  6th  to  the  9th  of  June,  the  patient  had  lost  considerable  flesh. 
The  bowels  had,  through  the  aid  of  green  food  and  acidulated 
drink,  been  kept  in  a  lax  state  —  a  condition  very  favorable  under 
the  circumstances.  We  now  determined  to  try  what  virtue  there 
was  in  tapping  the  chest:  for  this  purpose  we  pucked  up  a  fold 
of  the  skin  covering  the  intercostal  space  behind,  and  on  a  level 
with  the  point  of  the  elbow.  A  slight  puncture  was  now  made 
through  the  skin  —  then  the  trocar  and  canula  were  pushed 
through  the  intercostal  muscles  and  pleura.  Through  this  aper- 
ture we  caught  four  and  a  half  gallons  of  water.  A  bandage, 
drawn  moderately  tight,  was  wound  round  the  chest,  and  over  this 
a  blanket.  After  the  operation,  the  respiration  appeared  more 
tranquil,  yet  the  operation  was  of  no  avail ;  the  mare  died  about 
thirty-six  hours  afterwards. 

We  have  had  considerable  experience  in  the  treatment  of 
hydrothorax,  and  must  confess  that  it  is  the  most  fatal  of  all  chest 
diseases.  Medicines  which,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  in 
other  diseases  of  the  chest,  afford  some  relief,  seem  in  this  disease 
to  be  worse  than  useless ;  and  if  ever  we  feel  disposed  to  "  throw 
physic  to  the  dogs,"  it  is  when  treating  a  case  of  hydrothorax ; 
yet  in  duty  to  our  employer,  patient,  and  lastly,  for  the  sake  of 
our  own  reputation,  we  are  constrained  to  use  all  the  means 
within  our  power  for  the  patient's  recovery.  The  majority  of  both 
human  and  veterinary  practitioners,  whose  opinions  are  worth 
any  thing,  all  agree  that  the  prognosis  of  hydrothorax  is  "  gen- 
erally unfavorable ; "  that  it  has  seldom  been  cured,  and  in  many 
cases  will  hardly  admit  even  of  alleviation.  The  author  of  Hip- 
popatkobgy  terms  the  treatment  of  the  disease  now  under  con- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  75 

sideration  " an  affair  of  desperation"  and  confesses  that  his  own 
practice  has  proved  unsuccessful.  "  I  have  frequently  performed 
tapping,  and  as  frequently  failed  in  any  good  result.  From  an 
old  horse  I  drew  off  ten  gallons  of  water  —  seven  quarts  from  the 
left  side,  and  thirty-three  from  the  right  side.  He  died  on  the 
fourth  day  succeeding  the  operation,  without  having  been  in  the 
least  relieved  by  the  evacuation.  After  death,  six  gallons  more 
were  found  within  the  chest,  and  one  quart  within  the  peri- 
cardium." 

INFLAMMATION  OF  THE  LUNGS  AND  LINING  MEMBRANE 
OF  THE   CHEST.  —  {Pleuro-Pnmmonia.') 

The  above  terms  signify  a  disease  of  a  compound  character  — 
pleurisy  and  pneumonia  combined.  The  treatment  does  not  differ 
from  that  recommended  for  pleurisy  and  pneumonia,  (which  see). 
The  disease,  however,  runs  into  a  state  termed  typhoid :  this  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  an  advanced  stage  of  the  same  disease ; 
the  diagnostic  symptoms  of  which  are,  the  nasal  membranes 
have  a  blue  tinge,  appearing  as  if  they  were  glazed  over  with  a 
coating  of  lead-colored  paint ;  the  breath  is  very  offensive ;  the 
throat  is  somewhat  sore,  and  the  glandular  structures  around  are 
swollen ;  the  patient  is  in  a  sinking  condition,  with  no  appetite ; 
quick  yet  feeble  pulse ;  the  urine  high-colored  and  fetid,  and  the 
excrement  is  scanty,  voided  in  round  lumps.  The  body  is  trem- 
ulous, and  the  coat  looks  as  if  the  horse  had  been  dead  for  a  week 
or  more.  In  cases  of  this  character,  our  remedies  must  be  of  a 
kind  calculated  to  support  the  living  powers  and  to  arrest  decom- 
position, for  which  we  have  never  found  any  thing  to  equal  the 
following :  — 

Pale  brandy h  a  pint, 

Tincture  of  capsicum, 1  ounce, 

Table  salt, 2  ounces, 

Pyroligneous  acid, 1  ounce. 

Shake  the  mixture  until  the  salt  is  dissolved ;  then  give  a  wine 
glass  every  hour,  as  a  drench,  in  a  small  portion  of  oatmeal  gruel. 
Salt  is  a  very  excellent  antiseptic  ;  a  portion  should  now  and  then 
be  laid  on  the  tongue,  or  the  subject  may  have  an  occasional 
drench  of  salt  and  water. 


76  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


PLEURISY.  —  (Plmritis.) 

The  internal  cavity  of  the  chest  and  the  outer  surface  of  the 
lung  are  lined  and  covered  with  a  highly-organized  membrane 
termed  the  pleura :  here  the  disease  locates  itself.  In  the  early 
stage,  the  disease  is  termed  acute,  and  in  the  latter,  chronic.  The 
disease  sometimes  terminates  in  suppuration ;  so  that,  on  examin- 
ing a  case  after  death,  shreds  and  flakes  of  matter  will  be  found 
adhering  to  the  pleural  membranes.  Now  and  then,  the  disease 
terminates  in  mortification. 

"  In  1830,  a  four-year-old  horse  was  discovered  at  7  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  in  his  stall,  sweating  profusely  ;  heaving  hard  and 
quick  at  the  flanks,  and  puffing  at  an  equal  rate  at  the  nostrils ; 
pulse  but  very  indistinctly  to  be  felt;  mouth  hot  and  clammy; 
legs  intensely  cold ;  head  hung  down,  and  countenance  betraying 
serious  malady ;  eyes  and  nose  reddened,  and  the  latter  moist 
with  yellowish-bloody  matter;  breath  fetid  as  well  as  mouth. 
When  pressed  upon  the  side,  he  flinched  and  turned  his  head,  and 
evinced  much  soreness.  As  soon  as  he  was  got  dry  and  warm 
from  the  cold  sweat  he  was  in,  he  was  bled ;  scarcely,  however, 
had  two  quarts  of  dark  thick  blood  flowed  before  he  began  to  reel. 
The  treatment  afterwards  was  such  as  is  ordinarily  pursued; 
but  to  no  purpose.  The  pain  he  manifested  was  extreme.  He 
would  rub  his  nose  against  the  rail  across  the  doorway  of  the  box, 
thrusting  his  lips  violently  against  it ;  his  eyes  sinking  with  suf- 
fering. He  -was  twice  seen  to  lie  down,  but  immediately  rose 
again.  Towards  the  conclusion,  a  bloody  issue  appeared  at  the 
nose.  Before  death,  he  became  delirious,  and  expired  in  dreadful 
agony.  Water  within  both  sides  of  the  chest  —  from  six  to  eight 
quarts ;  pleura  intensely  inflamed ;  costal  portion  every  where 
most  minutely  and  thickly  injected ;  pulmonary  portion,  covering 
the  lungs,  likewise  injected,  but  it  had  also  become  gangrenous  — 
it  exhibited  a  green  hue;  lungs  partly  tuberculated ;  otherwise, 
and  particularly  in  the  interim,  they  were  sound."  —  Hippo- 
pathology. 

From  the  tuberculated  state  of  the  lungs,  there  was,  probably 
some  previous  indisposition,  which  accounts  for  the  rapid  course 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  77 

of  the  disease.  The  author  has  made  several  post  mortem  exami- 
nations of  pleuritic  cases,  and  has  always  found  the  substance  of 
the  lungs  more  or  less  involved,  and  a  question  has  arisen  in  his 
mind  whether  or  not  the  pleuritic  affection  was  antecedent  to  the 
pulmonary.  Some  physicians,  and  among  them  Mr.  Percivall, 
doubt  if  "  inflammation  is  ever  fully  developed  in  the  pleura  with- 
out extending  to  the  lung,  or  vice  versa.  It  is  not  a  question  I 
shall  trouble  myself  to  solve  ;  all  that  is  necessary  for  us  to  know, 
in  my  opinion,  is  the  fact,  that,  when  inflammation  is  invading 
these  parts,  it  is  sufficiently  predominant  in  one  to  induce  us  to 
regard  that  as  the  chief  or  principal  seat  of  disease,  and  to  treat 
the  ;ase  in  accordance  with  such  views ;  and  that  it  is,  compara- 
tively, rarely  so  equal  in  its  attack  of  the  two  parts  as  to  lead  us 
to  believe  that  one  is  quite  as  much  the  object  of  our  care  as  the 
other.  There  are  cases  enough  of  pleuro-pneumonia,  perhaps 
more  than  of  any  other  description ;  still  I  contend,  that  in  almost 
all  of  them  we  shall  find  either  the  lungs  or  the  pleura  to  be  the 
part  primarily  and  principally  affected,  and  as  such,  as  I  before 
observed,  to  be  the  especial  object  of  treatment." 

Symptoms  of  Pleurisy.  —  Like  most  forms  of  acute  and  febrile 
diseases,  pleurisy  commences  with  uneasiness,  puffing  and  blowing, 
and  pain.  One  feature  about  this  disease,  which  distinguishes  it 
from  all  others,  is,  that  the  patient  is  very  unwilling  to  turn  in  a  cir- 
cular direction ;  he  will  turn  his  head  and  gaze  anxiously  at  the 
sides,  expressive  of  pain  in  that  region  ;  but  if  you  attempt  to 
move  his  body  round,  he  utters  something  like  a  grunt,  or  sup- 
pressed groan,  indicative  of  the  pain  excited  by  the  movement. 
The  surface  of  the  body  has  a  hot,  dry  feel,  showing  beyond  a 
doubt  that  the  insensible  perspiration  is  suppressed.  Still,  how- 
ever, we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  insensible  perspiration  may 
be  quite  profuse  without  becoming  sensible;  for  if  the  atmosphere 
be  warm  and  dry,  and  thus  able  to  carry  off,  in  the  form  of  vapor, 
the  fluid  which  is  poured  out  on  the  skin,  it  cannot  be  perceived, 
and  we  may  be  deceived  in  our  diagnosis.*     Every  one  knows 

*  Although  no  evaporation  from  the  skin  can  take  place  when  the  surround- 
ing atmosphere  is  loaded  with  vapor,  the  secretion  of  the  perspiratory  glands 
continues ;  and  does  so  even  when  the  skin  is  immersed  in  fluid,  provided  tho 
fluid  be  of  high  temperature.     Hence  we  see  that  the  conditions  under  which  it 

7* 


78  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

that  the  drying  of  a  cloth  is  much  more  rapidly  effected  in  a 
warm,  dry  atmosphere,  than  in  a  cold,  moist  one ;  more  quickly, 
too,  in  a  draught  of  air,  than  in  a  situation  where  there  is  no  cur- 
rent, and  where  the  air  is  consequently  soon  charged  with  moisture. 
As  an  illustration,  we  were  once  treating  a  case  of  pleurisy  in  an 
unventilated,  damp  stable,  and  observed  that  our  patient  sweated 
profusely ;  it  was  a  clear  day,  the  wind  westerly,  our  patient  was 
placed  under  a  shed  in  the  open  air :  soon,  the  surface  became 
dry  and  hot ;  after  remaining  there  for  the  space  of  five  hours, 
the  hair  and  skin  had  an  unpleasant,  feverish  feel,  although  the 
general  feature,  aside  from  this,  remained  the  same.  After  being 
led  to  his  old  quarters,  the  surface  soon  became  moist  again. 
Therefore  atmospheric  influences  must  always  be  considered. 
The  membranes  of  the  eye  are  generally  injected  with  arterial 
blood  ;  the  pulse  is  quick  and  wiry ;  mouth  hot  and  dry ;  a  slight 
hacking  cough  is  sometimes  observed,  and  pressure  between  the 
ribs  always  elicits  pain.  The  disease,  if  not  arrested,  generally 
terminates  in  effusion  —  dropsy  of  the  chest. 

Treatment.  —  As  in  all  other  inflammatory  diseases,  the  prin- 
cipal object  will  be  to  equalize  the  circulation,  thus  lessening  the 
determination  of  blood  to  the  pleura ;  to  effect  which,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  keep  the  horse  under  the  exhibition  of  nauseants  — 
lobelia  or  ipecac.  English  surgeons  use  hellebore  in  this  view, 
but  we  prefer  a  compound  in  the  following  form :  — 


is  poured  forth  are  peculiar  to  the  living  body  alone,  and  entirely  different  from 
those  under  which  simple  evaporation  takes  place.  The  purpose  of  this  watery 
exhalation,  and  of  its  increase  under  a  high  temperature,  is  evidently  to  keep 
the  heat  of  the  body  as  near  as  possible  to  a  uniform  standard.  By  the  evapo- 
ration of  fluid  from  the  surface  of  the  skin,  a  considerable  quantity  of  heat  is 
withdrawn  from  it,  becoming  latent  in  the  change  from  fluid  to  vapor ;  of  this 
we  make  use  in  applying  cooling  lotions  to  inflamed  parts.  The  more  rapid  the 
evaporation,  the  greater  is  the  amount  of  heat  withdrawn  in  a  given  time. 
Hence,  if  we  pour  on  separate  parts  a  small  quantity  of  ether,  alcohol,  and 
water,  we  shall  find  that  the  spot  from  which  the  ether  is  evaporating  feels  the 
coldest,  and  that  which  is  covered  by  the  alcohol  less  so,  whilst  the  part 
moistened  with  water  is  comparatively  but  little  chilled.  The  greater  the 
amount  of  heat,  then,  applied  to  the  body,  the  more  fluid  is  poured  out  by  the 
perspiratory  glands  ;  and  as  the  air  can  carry  it  off  more  readily  in  proportion 
to  its  own  heat,  the  evaporation  becomes  more  rapid,  and  its  cooling  effect 
more  powerful.  —  Carpenter's  Physiology. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  79 

Ipecac,      . } 

Lobelia,     .  >  cf  each,  powdered,  1  ounce. 

Bloodroot,  ) 

Mix.     Divide  in  six  parts,  and  give  one  in  warm  water  twice  a  day. 

Then  take  vinegar, .1  pint, 

"  mustard, 4  ounces, 

"  tincture  of  capsicum,      .     .    2  ounces. 

Rub  this  briskly  over  the  region  of  the  chest,  and  over  all  apply 
flannels  wrung  out  in  warm  vinegar.  Keep  the  flannel  in  close 
contact  with  the  parts  by  passing  a  cotton  roller  several  times 
round  the  body,  which,  together  with  the  application,  may  be  dis- 
continued so  soon  as  sufficient  counter  irritation  or  soreness  is 
insured.  We  have  found  it  necessary  in  some  cases  to  apply  the 
same  counter  irritant  to  the  fetlocks  ;  it  may  create  great  uneasi- 
ness, but  it  is  beneficial  at  times,  for  we  know  that  every  muscu- 
lar effort  of  the  animal  tends  to  favor  the  passage  of  the  blood 
through  its  capillary  floodgates,  and  tends  to  the  more  equal 
distribution  of  that  fluid.  At  the  same  time,  we  must  remember 
that  the  foot  of  a  horse,  in  consequence  of  its  highly-organized 
arterial  and  venous  structures,  is  apt  to  take  on  a  specific  form  of 
inflammation,  termed  laminitis,  on  the  application  of  an  exciting 
irritant.  And  the  pleural  difficulty,  in  some  cases,  may  gravi- 
tate, by  a  process  termed  metastasis,  —  which  implies  the  shifting 
of  a  disease  from  one  part  to  another, — to  the  feet,  and  thus 
produce  a  disease  almost  as  difficult  to  treat  as  the  one  now  un- 
der consideration.  Therefore  due  caution  must  be  observed  in 
local  applications  of  this  character. 

To  allay  pain  and  calm  the  nervous  irritation,  we  use 

Powdered  assafcetida,     .  )    e        -,    ,   •,      , 
«  pleurisy  root,  \  of  each  1  drachm. 

Sirup  of  garlic, 2  ounces. 

Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

Two  or  three  doses  of  this  given  at  intervals  of  twelve  hours 
will  probably  suffice. 

In  cases  where  the  lungs  are  involved  in  the  disease  —  which 
may  be  known  by  the  presence  of  a  troublesome  cough  —  the 
following  drench  has  been  found  of  great  value  :  — 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,       ...     3  drachms. 

Balsam  copaiba, £  an  ounce. 

Mucilage  of  gum  Arabic,      .     .     6  ounces. 

To  be  repeated  at  discretion. 


80  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  state  of  the  bowels  must  be  attended  to ;  and,  although  it 
might  not  be  proper  to  excite  peristaltic  action  by  drastic  cathar- 
tics, yet  if  the  case  needs  it,  we  may  venture  on  a  mild  aperient, 
such,  for  example,  as  the  following :  — 

Glauber  salts 6  ounces, 

Powdered  gentian, 3  drachms. 

Warm  water  sufficient. 

Provided  the  bowels  do  not  respond  at  the  end  of  twelve 
or  sixteen  hours,  the  dose  may  be  repeated.  In  the  mean 
time,  however,  it  will  be  proper  to  administer  injections  of 
salt  and  water.  During  the  whole  stage  of  the  disease,  the 
food  must  be  light,  composed  of  slops,  gruel,  scalded  shorts,  or 
linseed  tea. 

During  a  practice  of  nine  years  in  the  city  of  Boston,  we  have 
had  but  few  cases  of  pure  pleurisy ;  there  are  cases  enough,  no 
doubt,  but  still  other  diseases  of  the  respiratory  apparatus  are 
more  common  among  the  horses  of  New  England.  The  infre- 
quency  of  such  cases  may  be  accounted  for  from  the  fact,  we  be- 
lieve, that  it  often  presents  itself  in  a  chronic  form,  and  as  the  sub- 
ject is  not  actually  incapacitated  for  work,  he  goes  on,  from  day  to 
day,  until  the  owner  becomes  convinced  that  all  is  not  right,  and 
not  until  then  does  he  seek  advice ;  the  case  has  then  assumed 
a  complicated  form.  The  following  is  a  case  in  point.  In  the 
month  of  May,  1853,  a  dark  roan  gelding,  the  property  of  a 
gentleman  residing  at  Cambridgeport,  was  put  up  at  a  stable  in 
Roxbur}r,  for  sale  ;  the  horse  remained  there  about  a  week ; 
nothing  was  observed  about  him  that  looked  like  disease,  except 
that  he  breathed  "  a  little  short  at  the  flanks."  On  the  2d 
day  of  June,  the  horse  was  loaned  to  a  gentleman  to  drive,  with 
an  understanding  that  if  the  animal  suited,  the  party  would  pur- 
chase him.  He  was  driven  but  a  short  distance  when  it  was  dis- 
covered that  something  ailed  the  horse ;  the  driver  noticed  that 
his  charge  panted  hard  at  the  flanks,  and  required  urging  to  get 
him  beyond  a  walk.  He  was  put  up  at  the  nearest  stable,  and 
the  next  day  our  attention  was  called  to  him.  We  found  the 
patient  with  a  quick,  wiry  pulse  ;  skin  hot ;  breath  fetid ;  the 
flanks  heaving ;  slight  cough  ;  and  a  discharge  of  thick,  yellow 
matter,  streaked  with  a  dark-colored  fluid.     He  evinced  great 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  81 

pain  when  pressure  was  made  on  the  intercostal  spaces.  "We 
had  him  backed  out  of  the  stall,  but  found  he  moved  with  great 
difficulty,  and  showed  evident  signs  of  pain.  He  grew  rapidly 
worse,  and  at  the  end  of  four  days  died.  The  medical  treat- 
ment was  little  else  than  palliative,  but  it  had  no  sort  of  effect  on 
him  ;  effusion  had  already  taken  place ;  two  days  before  he  died, 
the  breath  became  so  offensive  that  it  was  impossible  to  en- 
dure it. 

We  find,  on  reference  to  Percivall's  Hippopatliology,  the  fol- 
lowing passage  referring  to  the  forms  of  pleurisy  :  "  The  kinds 
or  forms  of  pleurisy  are  two  —  acute  and  chronic :  one  may 
follow  the  other  ;  or  the  chronic  kind,  as  well  as  the  acute,  may 
exist  by  itself.  Although  consisting,  as  far  as  we  know,  both  in 
inflammation,  they  appear  quite  opposite  diseases  ;  one  is  full  of 
activity  and  expression  of  pain  and  irritation  ;  the  other  compara- 
tively painless,  tardy  in  its  progress,  and  apt  to  continue  many 
weeks  before  it  will  come  to  any  issue." 

CONSUMPTION.  —  {Phthisis.) 

Horses  and  the  human  subject  are  alike  liable  to  this  awful 
malady ;  in  fact,  it  may  be  said  to  spare  neither  age,  sex,  pro- 
fession, nor  species ;  yet  there  are  certain  periods  in  the  life  of  both 
man  and  animals  when  the  disease  is  more  likely  to  make  its 
appearance.  A  colt  may  be  the  offspring  of  a  mare  classed  as 
one  of  the  consumptive  diathesis  ;  the  germs  of  tubercles  may  ex- 
ist in  the  system  of  the  former  at  birth,  yet  may  not  develop  such 
a  disease  as  phthisis,  nor  unfit  the  animal  for  the  ordinary  busi- 
ness of  a  working  horse  for  many  years.  Such  an  animal,  if 
used  at  work  in  the  country,  where  he  has  the  advantage  of  pure 
air,  and  simple,  yet  nutritious  diet,  and  being  the  property  of  an 
individual  who  practises  a  judicious  system  of  management,  may 
live  to  the  average  age  of  such  description  of  property.  There 
are  locations,  however,  that  may  be  said  to  be  favorable  for  the 
development  of  consumption,  such  as  low,  wet  lands,  where  the 
humid  atmosphere  *  prevents  a  full  and  free  evaporation  of  the 

*  "  It  has  been  ascertained  by  experiment,  that  when  a  warm  atmosphere, 


82  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

insensible  perspiration ;  such  an  atmosphere  is  no  less  injurious 
than  that  of  a  crowded,  unventilated  stable.  A  horse  may  be 
attacked  with  pneumonia,  which  may  run  through  its  various 
stages,  and  finally  end  in  tubercles,  or  pulmonary  consumption. 
Perverted  nutrition,  in  a  constitution  predisposed  to  the  develop- 
ment of  this  malady,  may  be  equally  prolific  with  the  former; 
for  if  the  fibrine  of  the  blood  be  imperfectly  elaborated,  it  is  less 
fit  to  undergo  organization  ;  and,  consequently,  instead  of  being 
converted  into  living  tissue,  part  of  it  is  deposited  as  an  unorgan- 
ized mass,  resulting  in  tubercle.  In  the  predisposed,  such  de- 
posits take  place  more  frequently  in  the  lungs  than  any  other 
part,  and  besides  impeding  the  circulation  and  respiration,  they 
produce  irritation  and  inflammation,  in  the  same  manner  that 
other  foreign  bodies  would  when  imbedded  in  any  of  the  tissues ; 
so  that  the  issue,  although  often  postponed  for  several  years,  is  most 
generally  fatal.  Most  medical  writers  agree  in  the  opinion  that, 
when  tuberculous  matter  is  once  deposited  in  the  lungs,  there  is 
no  getting  rid  of  it.  Microscopic  examinations  of  tubercular 
matter  show  that  it  consists  of  half-formed  cells,  fibres,  &c, 
together  with  a  granular  substance,  which  seems  to  be  little  else 
than  coagulated  albumen. 

As  regards  the  existence  of  tubercles  at  birth,  Mr.  Percivall 

loaded  with  dampness,  is  breathed,  there  is  rather  an  absorption  than  an  exha- 
lation of  aqueous  vapor ;  and  the  same  may,  probably,  take  place,  in  a  less  de- 
gree, in  an  ordinary  atmosphere,  when  the  body  has  been  drained  of  its  fluid. 
In  this  manner,  perhaps,  we  are  partly  to  account  for  tbe  extraordinary  in- 
crease in  weight  which  the  body  undergoes  by  absorption  from  the  atmosphere, 
under  peculiar  circumstances. 

"  That  absorption  may  take  place  through  the  lungs  is  evident  also,  from 
the  effects  upon  the  system  of  certain  gases,  which  act  as  virulent  poisons, 
even  when  respired  in  small  proportion.  Thus  a  bird  is  speedily  killed  by 
breathing  air  which  contains  no  more  than  l-1500th  part  of  sulphuretted  hy- 
drogen ;  and  a  dog  will  not  live  long  in  an  atmosphere  containing  1-S00th  part 
of  this  gas. 

"  The  effects  of  carburetted  hydrogen  are  similar  ;  but  a  larger  proportion  is 
required  to  destroy  life.  Both  these  gases  are  given  off  by  decomposing  ani- 
mal and  vegetable  matter,  the  neighborhood  of  which  is  very  injurious  to 
health.  It  is  chiefly  by  preventing  the  accumulation  of  such  substances  that 
an  efficient  drainage  becomes  so  important  a  means  of  preserving  health  and 
promoting  life."  —  Dr.  Carpenter  on  Secretion, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  83 

seems  to  have  some  doubts;  for,  says  that  writer,  "we  seem 
to  lack  proof  of  this  being  the  case  ;  whereas  we  have  had  demon- 
stration enough  of  horses  '  breeding  the  disease '  in  their  con- 
stitutions." 

The  history  of  pulmonary  consumption  in  the  human  family 
substantiates  this  opinion  ;  for  men  of  broad  chest  and  iron  consti- 
tution have  been  known  to  fall  victims  to  pulmonary  disease  of  this 
character,  when  we  know  that  the  man  predisposed,  as  it  is  termed, 
is  the  one  of  narrow  chest,  spare  muscles,  tall  frame,  and  slender 
limbs.  On  the  same  principles  we  characterize  the  colt  with 
narrow  chest,  flat  sides,  long  legs,  and  spare  muscles,  to  be  the 
one  most  subject  to  phthisis. 

Our  own  opinion  is,  that  the  evils  of  domestication  have  as 
much,  if  not  more,  to  do  with  the  development  of  this  form  of 
pulmonary  disease  than  predisposition.  We  will  introduce  to 
the  reader's  notice  a  single  illustration  of  the  evils  of  domestica- 
tion :  — 

"  When  I  came  to  the  farm  which  I  now  hold  by  purchase,  I 
found  the  stables  built  under  large  trees,  and  near  a  spring  of 
water,  with  a  northern  aspect.  My  horses  were  soon  in  poor 
condition,  with  long  and  rough  coats,  and  almost  always  lax  in 
their  bowels,  nor  could  I  get  them  up  by  extra  food  or  lighter 
work  ;  but  my  cows  suffered  most,  for  they  were  always  sick. 
Their  milk  fell  off,  and  their  butter  was  poor,  and  of  a  bad  color 
and  taste,  and  four  of  them  slipped  their  calves  before  their  time. 
When  the  spring  came,  they  left  their  winter  quarters  in  a  wrorse 
state  than  I  had  ever  seen  them,  and  two  of  them  died  from  the 
scours  on  going  to  pasture.  On  inquiry,  I  found  that  the  tenant 
who  had  left  had  always  been  what  the  neighbors  termed  unfor- 
tunate in  his  horses  and  cattle ;  and  from  that  cause,  more  than 
any  other,  he  had  not  been  able  to  make  both  ends  meet.  The 
truth  flashed  upon  me  in  an  instant,  and  in  a  very  little  time 
longer  than  it  has  taken  me  to  tell  you  my  story,  I  had  com- 
menced pulling  down  the  stable,  the  unhealthiness  of  which  had 
been,  I  was  convinced,  the  cause  of  all  the  evil  and  all  the  loss  ; 
and  it  was  not  more  than  two  days  before  there  was  not  left  one 
stone  upon  another  of  the  whole  fabric.     I  now  set  to  work  and 


84  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

erected  another  on  higher  ground,  removed  from  water,  and  clear 
from  the  shade  of  trees,  with  a  south-east  aspect,  and  dry,  capa- 
cious yard ;  and  from  that  day  I  have  had  neither  sickness  nor 
sorrow  in  my  out-door  household."  —  Boston  Cultivator. 

This  is  only  one  among  the  many  evils  of  domesticated  life, 
and  he  who  would  prevent  sickness,  and  thus  save  himself  from 
loss  and  vexation,  must  know  something  of  the  laws  of  life,  and 
be  able  to  understand  how,  and  by  what  means,  disease  and  death 
stride  through  his  flocks  and  herds. 

SYMPTOMS  OF  PHTHISIS. 

In  the  early  stage  of  the  disease,  the  hide  appears  tight  about 
the  ribs,  and  cannot  be  so  easily  raised  from  its  subcellular 
attachments  —  horsemen  often  express  their  idea  of  this  feature 
in  the  case  by  the  appellation  hidebound.  The  owner  of  such  an 
animal  may  have  observed  that  he  sweats  under  the  least  exer- 
tion, and  sometimes  coughs,  though  the  cough  may  be  so  slight 
as  not  to  attract  notice.  This  may  also  apply  to  his  condition, 
which  has  in  so  insidious  a  manner  been  falling  off  that  the  owner, 
who  may  have  had  the  patient  continually  under  his  inspection, 
yet  does  not  actually  realize  that  there  has  been  a  gradual  wast- 
ing of  the  solids  and  fluids  of  the  body,  which  to  the  man  of  ex- 
perience would  be  very  apparent. 

As  the  disease  progresses,  the  respiration  becomes  somewhat 
disturbed,  and  a  glance  at  the  flanks  shows  what  is  generally 
termed  slight  abdominal  respiration.  The  cough,  which  is  gen- 
erally a  short,  dry  one,  has  increased.  Pressing  on  the  intercostal 
spaces  —  between  the  ribs  —  gives  the  animal  pain.  The  pulse 
is  quick  and  small,  and  the  spirits  are  occasionally  depressed. 
Sometimes  the  appetite  is  good,  and  the  patient  eats  with  con- 
siderable relish ;  at  others  he  seems  indifferent  to  food,  but  will 
generally  partake  of  grass  if  offered  to  him. 

In  the  latter  stages,  all  the  symptoms  are  aggravated,  followed 
by  fetid  breath  and  discharge  of  bad-looking  matter  from  the 
nostrils.  Dropsical  swellings,  diarrhoea,  and  great  emaciation 
terminate  the  scene. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  85 

We  have  given  the  reader  merely  an  outline  of  the  symptoms 
of  this  scourge  of  animated  creation  ;  much  might  be  written  in 
detail  concerning  it,  very  interesting  and  instructive  to  the 
student  of  veterinary  medicine,  yet  unprofitable  to  the  practical 
man,  —  the  man  of  toil  and  care,  —  whose  occupation  does  not 
admit  of  so  thorough  a  course  of  training  as  that  required  by  the 
former.  It  will  be  noticed,  however,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing 
symptoms,  that  the  horse  scarcely,  if  ever,  during  the  latter  — 
and  indeed  it  may  happen  so  during  the  early  stage  —  never  lies 
down  ;  and  that  the  nostrils  are  always  distended,  and  appear 
thin  around  their  margins. 

Treatment  of  Consumption.  —  The  main  feature  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  malady  contemplates  the  invigoration  of  the  system, 
by  good,  nutritious  diet,  —  including,  if  possible,  green  food, — 
gentle  exercise,  pure  air,  and  if  the  weather  be  cold,  warm  cloth- 
ing :  by  the  due  employment  of  these  means  in  the  early  stage, 
perhaps,  many  valuable  horses  might  be  saved. 

As  the  tubercles  seem  to  be  formed  at  the  expense  of  albumen, 
such  articles  should  be  given  as  are  known  to  be  rich  in  that 
material :  milk,  for  example,  should  be  allowed  to  the  amount  of  a 
quart  per  day.  It  is  a  well-known  and  exceedingly  interesting 
fact,  that  milk  affords  us  the  only  instance  in  which  nature  has 
provided  a  single  article  of  food  for  the  support  of  the  animal 
body ;  and  as  it  contains  so  large  a  proportion  of  albumen,  besides 
oil  and  sugar,  it  must  be  a  valuable  agent  in  the  treatment  of 
consumption.  We  know  of  no  better  way  of  strengthening  the 
faith  of  our  readers  in  this  simple,  yet  sanative  agent,  than  to 
remark,  that  all  the  tissues,  organized,  and  if  —  there  are  any  — 
unorganized,  are  formed  from  the  albumen  and  fibrine  of  the 
blood ;  gelatine  may  be  detected  in  them,  however,  yet  that  also 
is  formed  from  albumen  and  fibrine.  Gelatine  taken  in  the  form 
of  jelly,  soup,  or  broth,  although  very  useful  in  the  treatment  of 
prostrating  diseases,  cannot  be  applied  to  the  nutrition  of  the 
albuminous  tissues. 

"  Some  experiments  have  recently  been  made  in  Paris  on  this 
subject,  with  a  view  of  determining  howfar  the  soup  made  from 
crushed  bones,  which  constituted  a  principal  article  of  diet  in  the 
hospitals  of  Paris,  was  adequate  for  the  support  of  the  patients. 


86  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

The  result  of  these  has  been  quite  confirmatory  ot  previous 
conclusions,  namely,  that  gelatine  may  be  advantageously  mixed 
with  albumen,  fibrine,  gluten,  &c,  and  those  other  ingredients 
which  exist  in  meat,  soup,  and  bread,  but  that  when  taken 
alone,  it  has  little  more  power  of  sustaining  life  than  sugar  or 
starch  possesses." 

"We  know  that  an  animal  may  be  effectually  starved  to  death 
on  sugar  or  starch  ;  and  many  articles  of  diet  hitherto  con- 
sidered highly  nutritious  have  failed  to  support  life.  —  See  Lie- 
big's  Chemistry. 

From  these  and  other  considerations,  which  we  might  urge, 
milk  is  superior  to  every  other  agent  in  the  treatment  of  pulmo- 
nary consumption.  The  principal  drawback  in  cases  of  great 
prostration,  however,  is,  that  the  digestive  apparatus  may  be  in- 
volved in  the  deterioration  of  the  system,  and  be  unable  to  digest 
the  fatty  constituent,  (butter ;)  hence,  in  the  exhibition  of  a  daily 
allowance  of  milk,  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  nutritive  func- 
tion, or  such  a  simple  article  as  milk  may  prove  a  barrier  to  our 
efforts  at  cure.  In  a  recent  case  of  pulmonary  consumption  in 
a  horse  that  came  under  the  author's  care,  one  pint  of  milk, 
mixed  with  two  ounces  of  lime  water,  was  given  twice  a  day, 
with  decided  benefit ;  on  omitting  it  for  a  few  days,  the  horse 
rapidly  grew  worse,  but  seemed  to  rally  in  a  most  surprising 
manner  on  resuming  the  milk  treatment.  The  case  was  not  seen 
by  us  until  it  had  become  confirmed,  or  it  might,  perhaps,  have 
terminated  favorably.  This,  however,  may  be  considered  as 
assuming  too  much  ;  but  we  have  great  confidence  in  the  milk 
and  lime  water  treatment,  aided  by  whatever  medicinal  agents  the 
nature  of  the  case  seems  to  require,  and  therefore  recommend 
our  readers  to  give  it  a  fair  trial. 

We  use  lime  water  in  conjunction  with  milk  with  the  same 
view  that  human  physicians  have  in  prescribing  phosphate  of 
lime  for  a  "  breaking  up  of  the  constitution,"  and  lime  water  is 
considered  very  useful  for  irritable  stomach  and  other  maladies 
of  the  digestive  apparatus. 

Proceeding  on  the  dietary  principle,  with  a  view  of  supplying 
materials  to  repair  the  waste  of  the  body,  we  recommend  green 
vegetables,  with  the  addition  of  oat-meal,  pea-meal,  linseed-meal, 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  87 

and  wheaten  flour.  A  liberal  quantity  of  salt  *  must  be  mixed 
with  this  description  of  food,  for  it  not  only  aids  digestion,  but 
abstracts  fluids  from  the  body,  and  thus  creates  a  desire  for  other 
fluids.  Now,  the  abstraction  of  the  morbid  fluids  of  the  body,  and 
the  substitution  of  water  to  supply  the  loss,  must  be  beneficial ; 
for,  literally  speaking,  it  cleanses  the  body  by  infiltration,  the 
whole  body  being  considered  cellular.  Aqueous  drinks,  which 
include  water  and  hay  tea,  are  rapidly  absorbed  without  under- 
going digestion,  and  are  therefore  indicated  in  all  cases  of  diseased 
lungs,  whether  salt  be  used  or  not. 

For  the  medicinal  treatment  of  this  disease  we  recommend 

Phosphate  of  lime, 
Powdered  bloodroot,         ^\ 

"         goldenseal,       J 

"         slippery  elm,  1  pound. 

Mix ;  and  divide  the  mass  into  twenty -four  powders ;  one  to  be 
given  in  the  food  every  night. 

This  compound  is  best  adapted  to  the  disease  after  it  has 
made  some  progress ;  but  in  the  incipient  or  early  stage,  and  pro- 
vided the  patient  be  not  the  subject  of  debility,  the  following  will 
be  best  adapted  to  the  case :  — 

Powdered  bloodroot,      ^ 

"         ipecacuanha,  >  of  each  1  ounce. 
"         lobelia,  j 

Mix :  divide  the  mass  into  twelve  parts,  and  sprinkle  one  in  the 
food  night  and  morning.  These  powders  may  be  continued  as 
long  as  the  horse  shows  signs  of  strength  and  spirits  ;  they  are 
calculated  to  nauseate  and  debilitate,  and  no  fear  need  be  enter- 
tained from  the  horse  showing  but  slight  symptoms  of  debility  or 
shortness  of  breath,  which  may  follow  their  use. 

During  the  various  stages  of  the  disease,  the  horse  should  be 
occasionally  drenched  with  an  infusion  of  one  of  the  following 
articles:  liverwort,  skunk  cabbage,  hoarhound,  Solomon's  seal, 
or  tansy. 

Warmth  and  moisture,  in  the  form  of  a  steam  bath,  and  the 

*  Salt  consists  of  muriatic  acid  and  soda ;  the  former  is  the  essential  ingre- 
dient in  the  gastric  juice,  whilst  the  latter  performs  a  very  important  part  in 
the  production  of  bile. 


OO  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

sponging  of  the  body  with  warm  saleratus  water,  if  the  weather 
is  not  too  cold ;  in  either  case,  dry  frictions  afterwards  will  exert 
a  favorable  action  on  the  cutaneous  exhalants. 

Injections  of  soap  and  water  are  to  be  given  should  the  excre- 
ment be  voided  with  difficulty,  or  appear  knotty. 

STRANGLES. 

Strangles  may  set  in  from  the  same  causes  that  induce  other 
catarrhal  diseases.  It  is  most  prevalent  in  young  horses :  from 
" colthood" '*  up  to  the  eighth  year;  after  which  the  disease  is 
somewhat  rare.  We  have  seen  several  well-marked  cases  occur- 
ring in  Pennsylvania,  and  in  Vermont  breeds  shortly  after  their 
arrival  in  this  city ;  their  ages  varying  from  five  to  eight  years. 
As  far  as  our  own  experience  goes,  we  have  nothing  to  say  as  to  the 
extent  of  its  prevalence  in  colthood,  for  we  do  not  remember  ever 
having  been  called  to  treat  such  a  case ;  yet  there  may  be  a  great 
number  of  colts  attacked  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  get  over  it; 
of  this  we  have  no  means  of  knowing.  "We  hear,  now  and  then, 
that  such  a  colt  has  just  recovered  from  the  "horse  ail;"  but  the 
ambiguousness  of  the  term  throws  a  pall  over  the  nature  of  the 
disease,  which  may,  perhaps,  be  strangles.  The  disease  is,  with- 
out doubt,  one  of  the  evils  of  domestication,  and  results  from 
errors  in  diet,  and  in  the  general  management,  which,  if  we  except 
a  few  isolated  cases,  will  bear  improvement.  If  it  be  a  disease 
resembling  "small-pox,  measles,  or  an  eruptive  fever  occurring 
but  once  in  the  animal's  lifetime,"  —  as  some  writers  contend, — 
then  the  sooner  every  horse  has  it  the  better,  and  we  need  not 
trouble  ourselves  about  its  causes,  for  those  who  have  attempted 
to  penetrate  the  hidden  secrets  of  nature,  and  bring  to  light  the 
mysterious  cause  of  a  definite  disease,  have  failed,  and  thus  had 
their  labor  for  their  pains.  But  Mr.  Percivall  sets  the  matter  at 
rest,  for  in  answer  to  the  question,  Do  strangles,  in  any  form, 
occur  in  all  horses  ?  he  answers,  "  No !  Many,  in  my  opinion, 
escape  it."     Hence,  if  many  escape,  it  is  very  natural  for  those 

*  Mr.  Percivall,  in  his  Hippo-pathology,  records  a  case  of  strangles  occurring 
in  a  colt  six  months  old,  and  also  states  that  Mr.  Coward  had  observed  the  dis- 
ease at  three  months  after  birth. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  89 

who  know  the  value  of  pure  air,  natural  food,  and  exercise,  to 
conclude  that  the  colt  while  enjoying  these  great  luxuries  by  the 
side  of  its  mother,  guided  by  her  superior  mind,  (instinct,  if  you 
please,)  is  not  liable  to  be  attacked  with  a  disease  which,  as 
already  stated,  we  believe  to  result  from  depriving  animals  of 
those  blessings  which  nature  has  in  store  for  them  in  their  unre- 
strained state.  But  it  often  happens  that  young  colts,  after 
running  a  season  with  their  mother,  partaking  of  the  invigorating 
country  air,  grow  up  to  be  strong  and  robust ;  and  then  the  period 
arrives  for  weaning  them.  How  changed  the  scene !  Instead 
of  being  permitted  to  gambol  in  their  native  element,  they  are 
confined  to  a  small  space,  not  large  enough  to  swing  a  cat  round, 
and  perhaps  as  dark  as  the  grave ;  and  the  animal,  after  fretting 
for  a  season,  and  making  unsuccessful  efforts  to  escape  from  its 
prison  house,  tamely  submits  to  the  discipline,  not,  however,  until 
he  has  cut,  and  bruised,  and  otherwise  injured  himself.  We  were 
called,  a  short  time  ago,  to  visit  a  young  colt  that  had  lacerated  his 
head,  breast,  and  fore  legs  in  a  most  shocking  manner,  in  making 
an  attempt  to  escape  through  a  window  from  the  horrors  of  con- 
finement. His  companions  were  about  a  dozen  cows,  more  calcu- 
lated to  alarm  and  render  his  position  a  perilous  one  than  other- 
wise ;  and  the  impure  atmosphere,  rendered  so  by  the  emanations 
from  the  excrements,  and  from  the  lungs  of  his  companions,  was 
a  source  of  great  mischief.  Then  who  can  blame  such  a  one  for 
attempting  to  escape  and  regain  liberty?  If  strangles  should 
appear  in  such  a  subject,  it  would  not  be  surprising. 

Then,  again,  take  a  colt  from  its  mother,  whose  milk  contains 
all  the  elements  for  sustaining  life  and  developing  the  organization 
of  the  young  subject,  and  place  it  upon  a  diet  of  hay  or  like  innu- 
tritious  trash,  a  whole  truss  of  which  would  not  afford  one  half 
the  quantity  of  nutriment  contained  in  a  quart  of  its  mother's  milk 
However  profitable  and  well  adapted  hay  may  be  for  stock  of 
mature  growth  and  powerful  digestive  organs,  it  is  a  sad  mistake 
to  suppose  that  it  will  do  for  the  young.  A  case  of  this  kind 
came  under  our  observation  last  year.  The  subject,  aged  two 
and  a  half  years,  died  in  a  state  of  marasmus.*     Post  mortem 

•  A  gradual  wasting  of  the  system  without  any  apparent  disease. 
8* 


90  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

examination  failed  to  detect  any  disease  other  than  general 
emaciation.  On  making  inquiries  concerning  the  food,  the  owner 
replied,  "  The  colt  has  been  fed  on  good  sweet  hay  and  cornstalks 
ever  since  it  was  weaned."  This  was  capital  food  for  the  poor 
thing,  provided,  however,  its  stomach  had  a  grist  mill  within  it ; 
otherwise,  it  was  hard  fare,  and  must  derange  the  digestive  func- 
tion, and  ere  the  colt  has  attained  maturity,  dyspepsia,  in  either 
a  mild  or  aggravated  form,  has  secured  a  victim. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  there  is  a  great  difference  between 
a  young  animal  enjoying  the  privileges  of  a  natural  life,  partaking 
of  nutrimental  agents  adapted  to  its  condition  and  welfare,  and 
another  that  shall  be  shut  up  in  a  dark,  filthy  prison  house,  — 
perhaps,  however,  he  may  be  permitted  the  range  of  the  barn 
yard,  which  is  as  bad,  if  not  a  worse  place,  than  the  barn  itself, 
—  and  while  living  in  this  artificial  condition,  partaking  of  food  ill 
adapted  to  its  constitution. 

Knowing,  then,  as  we  do,  that  in  the  difference  between  a 
natural  and  artificial  life  exist  the  chief  causes  of  disease,  in  its 
diversified  forms,  then  we  certainly  have  just  grounds  to  believe 
that  many  young  colts  reared  and  fed  at  a  distance  have  many 
diseases  which  the  residents  of  large  cities  know  nothing  of, 
neither  as  regards  the  disease  nor  the  means  used  to  get  rid  of  it. 
They  may  have  had  strangles,  yet  the  owner  assures  his  friends 
it  was  only  "  horse  ail "  —  something  wrhich  horse  dealers  sup- 
pose every  animal  is  attacked  with  at  some  period  of  life.  Under 
the  above  abuses,  colts  are  as  liable  to  strangles  as  a  full-grown 
horse. 

The  disease  is  set  down  by  authorities  as  wow-contagious  —  not 
"catching."  We  have  no  desire  to  discuss  this  question,  but 
leave  it  for  those  who,  from  more  extensive  experience,  are  better 
qualified  to  judge  of  the  matter.  "We  always  take  the  precaution 
to  separate  the  patient  from  healthy  animals,  and  would  recom- 
mend this  as  a  general  rule  in  all  catarrhal  affections.  We  now 
come  to  the  symptoms  and  treatment  of  strangles,  which  the  fol- 
lowing case  will  illustrate  :  — 

The  subject  was  a  gray  gelding,  aged  seven  years,  the  property 
of  Mr.  B.,  of  Boston,  which  was  suffering  with  an  attack  of  (so 
called)  horse  ail.     The  animal  had  been  off  its  feed  for  two  or 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  91 

three  days  previous,  and  appeared  dull  and  unwilling  to  work  ; 
consequently  the  owner  ordered  him  to  be  laid  up,  and  procured 
another  to  do  the  work.  At  this  stage  our  attention  was  called 
to  him.  On  applying  the  finger  to  the  submaxillary  artery,  (at 
the  angle  of  the  jaw,)  found  the  pulse  fifty  per  minute,  and  strong 
in  character.  The  respirations  were  not  attended  with  any  pecu- 
liarity, being  about  seventeen ;  yet  we  noticed  slight  abdominal 
respiration,  —  commonly  denominated  heaving-flanks  —  heaves. 
The  coat  looked  rough;  skin  tight;  and  a  hollowness  of  the 
flanks,  just  sufficient  to  denote  debility. 

On  exploring  the  throat,  a  knotty  tumor,  occupying  the  space 
between  the  jaws,  was  found,  which  appeared  hot  and  tender ; 
the  throat  also  was  sore ;  for  the  animal  was  very  unwilling  to 
have  it  handled.  The  parotid  glands  —  beneath  the  ear  —  ap- 
peared tumefied.  The  membrane  —  Schneiderian  —  of  the  nose 
was  red  —  injected;  mouth  hot;  tongue  coated  with  a  white  fur, 
and  somewhat  dry,  indicating  fever  and  thirst.  On  inquiring, 
was  told  that  the  animal  coughed  occasionally. 

Treatment.  —  Ordered  the  animal  to  be  clothed  warmly,  to  be 
fed  on  thin  gruel,  and  the  drink  to  have  the  chill  taken  off.  Did 
not  prescribe  any  medicine,  other  than  a  little  sup.  tart.  pot.  — 
cream  of  tartar,  to  be  given  in  the  drink.* 

On  visiting  the  patient  next  day,  March  1,  1851,  the  tumor 
under  the  jaw  and  surrounding  parts  had  enlarged  considerably  ; 
the  whole  pathological  symptoms  of  the  previous  day  were  aug- 
mented; with  the  additional  tumefaction  of  the  cheeks  and  lips, 
cold  extremities,  and  constipated  bowels. 

Treatment.  —  Ordered  the  legs  to  be  rubbed  and  bandaged  ; 
the  diet  to  consist  of  thin  gruel  acidulated  with  cream  of  tartar ; 
and  the  following  mixture  to  be  applied  around  the  jaws  and 
throat : — 

Olive  oil, 4  ounces. 

Acetic  acid,  (distilled  vinegar,)    .     1  ounce. 


*  Horses  laboring  under  febrile  symptoms,  and  having  a  coated  tongue,  hava 
not  that  acute  sense  of  taste  which  we  find  in  healthy  ones  ;  hence  they  will 
often  drink  with  avidity  what  at  other  times  they  would  refuse  to  swallow ;  and 
this  is  a  fortunate  circumstance  for  both  doctor  and  patient ;  for  the  former  is 
spared  some  trouble,  and  the  latter  some  pain  and  excitement. 


92  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

The  rectum  was  relieved  of  its  contents  by  the  following  enema: 

Powdered  aloes, 4  drachms, 

Hot  water,        2  quarts, 

Common  salt, 1  drachm. 

March  2.  The  tumefaction  has  fearfully  increased  and  spread, 
yet  is  very  hard ;  the  animal  makes  a  distressing  noise  in  efforts 
to  breathe ;  stands  in  a  fixed  posture,  with  the  head  elevated, 
unable  to  move  it. 

Treatment.  —  Prepared  a  poultice  of  slippery  elm,  linseed, 
lobelia,  and  poplar  bark,  which  was  moistened  with  water  and 
vinegar,  equal  parts.  This  was  quilted  between  two  pieces  of 
cloth,  with  a  view  of  distributing  it  over  a  large  surface,  and  then 
applied  and  confined  around  the  throat.  The  head  was  also 
steamed  with  a  mixture  consisting  of  four  ounces  of  tincture  of 
lobelia,  and  one  pint  of  vinegar,  poured  upon  a  red-hot  brick  held 
beneath  the  nose.     This  appeared  to  give  some  relief. 

March  3.  This  morning,  the  slaver  flows  out  of  the  swollen 
mouth,  and  there  is  a  slight  discharge  of  matter  from  the  nostrils  ; 
the  animal  appears  in  great  agony,  and  is  almost  suffocating.  On 
removing  the  poultice,  the  tumor  appeared  very  tense,  yet  soft  at 
a  point  near  the  thyroid  cartilage :  on  striking  a  spring  lancet 
into  it,  a  volume  of  purulent  matter,  streaked  with  blood,  issued, 
and  continued  to  run  in  a  perfect  stream ;  the  orifice  was  after- 
wards enlarged  with  a  button-pointed  bistoury.  The  quantity  of 
matter  discharged  was  beyond  any  thing  we  had  ever  seen  before, 
amounting  to  several  pints,  and,  to  judge  from  the  collapse  of 
the  surrounding  parts,  must  have  occupied  a  large  space  in  the 
cellular  tissue.  Relief  was  immediate,  and  the  poor  horse  seemed 
to  manifest  gratitude  by  looks  and  actions  not  to  be  mistaken. 
On  offering  him  a  little  thin  gruel,  he  drank  it  greedily,  and  looked 
round  for  more ;  and  no  wonder,  for  during  the  past  thirty-six 
hours  he  had  not  tasted  any  thing. 

Treatment.  —  The  discharge  of  the  pus  was  accelerated  by  ap- 
plying a  broad  bandage  drawn  moderately  tight  around  the  parts. 
The  diet  to  consist  of  scalded  bran  and  oatmeal. 

Visited  the  patient  again  in  the  evening,  when  the  bandage 
was  removed,  the  parts  cleansed,  and  afterwards  sponged  with  a 
cold  infusion  of  bayberry  bark  —  astringent.  Gave  the  following 
draught :  — 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  93 

Powdered  podophyllum,    ...  2  drachms, 

Extract  of  boneset, 3  drachms, 

Cream  of  tartar, 4  drachms, 

Warm  water, 1  pint. 

Did  not  get  more  than  half  of  it  down,  owing  to  the  stiffness  of 
the  neck  and  the  unwillingness  of  the  patient  to  swallow. 

March  4.  Found  the  patient  greatly  improved ;  appetite 
pretty  good ;  excretions,  dung  and  urine,  scanty,  yet  natural ; 
discharge  from  the  throat  less  copious.  The  parotid  glands  as 
large  as  a  man's  wrist,  also  the  submaxillary  and  thyroid  glands 
still  enlarged.     Prescribed  the  following  embrocation  :  — 

Neatsfoot  oil, 1  pint, 

Spirits  of  camphor, 4  ounces, 

Pyroligneous  acid, 3  ounces. 

To  be  applied  to  the  glands  night  and  morning,  and  one  of  the 
following  powders  to  be  given  in  the  food  at  the  same  time :  — 

Powdered  gentian, 2  ounces, 

"         goldenseal,   ....  1  ounce, 

"         pleurisy  root,     ...  1  ounce, 

"         licorice, 1  pound. 

Divided  into  six  parts. 

March  7.  On  leading  the  patient  out  of  the  stall,  he  appeared 
somewhat  stiff  in  the  limbs.  The  swelling  has  all  subsided,  with 
the  exception  of  the  parotid  glands,  which  are  quite  large.  The 
discharge  has  almost  abated,  and  the  animal  appears  in  good 
spirits,  and  has  a  natural  appetite. 

From  this  date  the  animal  was  daily  exercised,  and  returned 
to  his  usual  diet,  and  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight  was  put  to  work. 
The  parotid  glands,  however,  were  enlarged  for  some  weeks  after, 
but  gradually  decreased  under  the  daily  application  of  a  stimulat- 
ing liniment. 

Contagiousness  of  Strangles. 
We  learn  from  the  Veterinarian  that  M.  Reynal,  clinical  pro- 
fessor at  the  Alfort  School,  submits  a  number  of  observations 
corroborative  of  the  contagious  character  of  strangles.  He  states 
that  "  Young  horses  having  strangles,  and  put  into  stables  with 
horses  of  adult  age,  doing  their  duty,  have  communicated  the  dis- 
ease to  those  of  the  latter  who  have  stood  in  adjoining  stalls, 
though  some  few  have  only  exhibited  the  disease  in  a  catarrhal 


94  THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR. 

form.  Even  the  foal  has  been  known  to  suck  the  disease  from 
its  dam. 

"  Moreover,  experiment  has  been  had  recourse  to,  to  inoculate 
for  strangles. 

"M.  Damalix  smeared  with  &  sponge  impregnated  with  mat- 
ter taken  from  the  abscess  of  strangles,  twice  daily,  both  sides  of 
the  pituitary  membrane  and  the  internal  surfaces  of  the  linings  of 
the  eyelids,  in  a  sound  horse,  about  to  be  cast  for  spavin.  Thi3 
was  continued  for  seven  days.  On  the  eighth,  he  remarked,  the 
horse  had  lost  his  appetite,  had  commenced  running  from  both 
nostrils,  coughed  softly  and  loosely,  had  swelling  under  the  jaw, 
which  ended  in  resolution  ;  all  the  symptoms  terminating  eight 
days  from  their  commencement. 

"  It  has  been  remarked  that  strangles  is  more  surely  communi- 
cated at  an  early  than  a  late  stage,  and  in  a  certain  form  more 
readily  than  in  others.  Strangles  will  assume  the  herpetic  char- 
acter, will  simulate  farcy  and  glanders,  will  settle  in  the  mesen- 
teric glands,  or  may  follow  castration.  In  regard  to  contagion 
may  be  mentioned,  as  most  readily  communicable,  this  form  of 
strangles,  which  assumes  the  character  of  eruptions  on  the  lips, 
nose,  and  pituitary  membrane." 

BRONCHITIS. 

Veterinarians  recognize  this  disease  under  three  aspects,  viz. : 

1.  Acute,  as  when  the  horse  is  suddenly  attacked  with  an  irrita- 
ble cough  and  sore  throat,  with  the  usual  febrile  symptoms,  such 
as  quick,  wiry  pulse  ;  membranes  of  the  nose  and  mouth  redder 
than  usual;  accelerated  respiration;  great  anxiety  of  counte- 
nance, &c,  &c. 

2.  Chronic  bronchitis,  which  sets  in  after  the  acute  has  sub- 
sided ;  this  stage  is  marked  by  a  discharge  of  watery  and  some- 
times mucous  fluid  from  the  nose;  the  act  of  respiration  is 
performed  with  'a  sort  of  wheezing  noise,  which  is  caused  by  ob- 
struction within  the  bronchial  vessels,  either  from  contraction,  by 
which  their  calibre  is  lessened,  or  else  from  a  thickening  of  the 
lining  membrane,  or,  lastly,  from  the  accumulation  of  sero-mu- 
cous  fluid  within  their  cavities,  of  which  they  are  somewhat  re- 
lieved in  the  act  of  coughing. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  95 

3.  The  third  variety  has  been  named  epidemic  bronchitis,  be- 
cause, like  other  epizootics,  it  retains  its  character  in  every  part 
of  the  globe,  and  appears  to  maintain  its  influence  in  certain  lo- 
cations, to  the  exclusion  of  other  forms  of  disease.  There  may, 
however,  be  some  difference  in  the  severity  of  the  disease  at  the 
commencement,  height,  or  decline  of  the  morbid  period. 

"  The  epidemic  variety ,"  says  Percivall,  "  is  remarkable  for  the 
emission  of  copious  discharges  or  fluxes  from  the  nose,  at  one 
time  turning  yellow,  at  another  green,  and  then  again  white.  In 
this  form  the  disorder  is  exceedingly  apt  to  assume  the  chronic 
type,  and,  after  continuing  for  a  length  of  time,  to  leave  the  ani- 
mal reduced  in  flesh,  and  much  debilitated."  There  is  no  doubt 
in  the  mind  of  the  author,  that  many  of  those  cases  of  abdominal 
respiration  noticed  among  horses  in  the  New  England  States, 
and  commonly  termed  "  heaves"  is  the  result  of  bronchitis,  which 
leaves  the  upper  air  passages  in  a  contracted  state,  or  else  thick- 
ens their  lining  membrane. 

Treatment.  —  Bloodletting  has  ever  been  extolled  as  one  of 
the  main  dependences  in  the  cure  of  bronchitis  ;  but  as  we  have 
no  faith  in  the  curability  of  such  diseases  by  the  fleam,  of  course 
we  cannot  recommend  the  practice  to  the  reader.  To  equalize  the 
blood  so  that  there  shall  be  no  excess  in  the  membranes  of  the  air 
passages,  seems  more  rational  than  to  abstract  it.  In  view  of  pro- 
ducing so  desirable  a  result,  we  use  drachm  doses  of  powdered  lobe- 
lia seeds  twice  a  day.  Most  veterinarians,  however,  recommend 
powdered  hellebore,  in  half  drachm  doses,  twice  a  day,  preceded 
by  free  abstractions  of  blood.  The  lobelia  is  to  be  continued,  to- 
gether with  warmth  and  moisture  to  the  external  surface,  until, 
from  the  softness  of  the  pulse  and  moisture  on  the  surface,  we 
are  certain  that  the  remedy  has  taken  effect.  This  is  not  all 
that  is  to  be  done  ;  for  the  mucous  membranes  must  be  sheathed 
by  lubricants,  so  as  to  protect  them  from  the  effects  of  the  morbid 
secretion  continually  flowing  over  their  surfaces  ;  and  no  better  or 
cheaper  article  than  slippery  elm  can  be  found.  A  small  por- 
tion of  the  powdered  bark  is  to  be  stirred  into  a  given  quantity 
of  boiling  water,  until  it  forms  a  mucilage  just  thick  enough  for 
a  drink  ;  to  a  pint  of  which  add  two  ounces  of  sirup  of  garlic ; 
to  be  given  twice  daily.     Counter  irritants  applied  in  the  vicinity 


96  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

of  the  throat,  trachea,  and  chest,  do  much  good ;  blisters  and  setons 
are  highly  extolled,  but  they  only  torment  the  patient,  and  in- 
crease the  irritability  of,  not  only  the  parts  to  which  they  are  ap- 
plied, but  the  animal  also  ;  and  then  we  cannot  regulate  their 
action  so  well  as  we  can  that  of  other  agents  of  a  more  sanative 
character ;  for  the  pain  and  irritation  will  sometimes  remain  a 
long  time  after  their  removal.  A  good  effect  is  generally  pro- 
duced from  the  occasional  application  of  essence  of  white  mus- 
tard seed,  tincture  of  capsicum,  and  we  have  witnessed  favorable 
results  attend  the  use  of  essence  of  cedar.  When  a  relaxing 
effect  is  desirable  —  and  we  do  not  know  but  such  is  always  so 
in  bronchitis  —  the  following  can  be  used :  — 

Vinegar, 1  pint, 

Powdered  lobelia,        ....     2  ounces. 

Let  the  above  simmer  over  a  slow  fire  for  a  short  time,  and  ap- 
ply it  to  the  throat  two  or  three  times  a  day.  The  throat  should 
be  encircled  with  a  piece  of  soft  flannel. 

The  bowels  are  to  be  kept  loose  ;  not  by  purgatives,  for  their 
action  on  the  digestive  surfaces  is  sure  to  make  matters  worse ; 
the  patient  must  be  kept  on  a  sloppy  kind  of  diet,  well  seasoned 
with  common  salt.  Fine  feed,  scalded,  and  placed  before  the 
animal  while  warm,  answers  two  purposes,  viz.,  that  of  relaxing 
the  engorged  surfaces  of  the  nose  and  throat  from  inhaling  the 
warm  vapor,  and  also  has  a  relaxing  effect  on  the  bowels,  which 
are  apt  to  become  torpid  sometimes,  from  no  other  cause  than 
want  of  exercise.  If  the  patient  be  carried  through  the  various 
stages  of  bronchial  difficulty,  with  an  eye  single  to  his  comfort  and 
convenience,  and  proper  attention  is  paid  to  the  wants  of  nature, 
the  skin  kept  moist,  the  bowels  loose,  the  patient  having  the  ad- 
vantages of  a  pure  atmosphere,  then  the  case,  if  it  is  a  curable 
one,  is  sure  to  terminate  favorably.  So  long  as  the  patient  mani- 
fests febrile  symptoms,  the  drink  should  consist  of  water,  acidulated 
with  cream  of  tartar,  and  an  occasional  enema  must  be  adminis- 
tered. In  the  treatment  of  bronchitis,  whether  it  be  acute, 
chronic,  or  epidemic,  the  patient  must  be  removed  from  the  nox- 
ious effluvia  arising  from  the  bodies  and  excrements  of  other 
animals,  for  they  are  highly  deleterious  when  reintroduced  into 
the  living  body  of  an  animal  which,  in  consequence  of  disease,  is 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  97 

unable  to  resist  their  influences.  Mr.  R.  D.  Granger  has  lately 
written  some  interesting  remarks  on  the  influence  of  noxious 
effluvia  in  the  origin  and  propagation  of  epidemic  diseases,  an 
extract  from  -which  we  here  introduce.  "  That  the  effete  matter 
eliminated  from  the  system  is  small  in  amount  is  no  objection  to 
the  intensity  of  its  action  ;  for  to  the  physiologist  it  is  well  known 
that  a  minute  quantity  of  a  powerful  agent  —  the  putrid  matter  in- 
troduced on  the  point  of  a  needle,  in  the  dissection  of  the  dead  — 
or  a  single  drop  of  prussic  acid  placed  in  the  mouth  of  an  animal  — 
is  sufficient  to  destroy  life.  It  is  in  the  over-crowded  bed  rooms, 
in  unventilated  schools,  workhouse  dormitories,  &c,  that  this 
effete  matter  taints  the  air,  and,  entering  the  blood,  poisons  the 
system." 

CATARRH. 

Definition.  —  A  sero-mucous  defluxion  from,  commonly,  both 
nostrils,  increased  redness  of  the  Schneiderian  membrane,  lining 
the  nostrils  ;  oozing  of  tears  from  the  corners  of  the  eyes  ;  swell- 
ings underneath  the  jaws ;  snorting ;  cough,  with  or  without  fe- 
brile disorder.  —  Percivall. 

It  is  well  known  that  many  of  the  most  formidable  diseases  to 
which  mankind  and  animals  are  subject  originate  in  a  common 
cold ;  hence  such  a  common  affection  should  always  receive  our 
earliest  attention,  for  its  treatment  is  then  a  very  simple  affair : 
perhaps,  if  proper  attention  were  paid  to  the  general  management 
of  catarrhal  subjects,  the  disease  would  subside  spontaneously ; 
provided,  however,  the  subject  be  free  from  latent  disease.  But 
it  often  happens  that  catarrh  is  symptomatic  of  several  other  dis- 
eases, and  then  will  require  a  special  course  of  treatment.  As 
regards  its  spontaneous  cure,  we  may  remark,  that  in  our  crowded 
stables  such  termination  may  be  very  rare,  for  various  causes 
are  in  operation  to  retard  rather  than  favor  it.  If  a  horse  be  in 
good  flesh,  (which  generally  means  a  state  of  plethora,)  and  kept 
in  a  hot  stable,  catarrh  will  generally  be  attended  with  a  cough 
and  quickness  of  breathing.  Now,  if  the  weather  is  favorable, 
he  may  be  turned  out  in  the  daytime,  and  partake  of  green  food  ; 
when  taken  up  for  the  night,  a  bran  mash  should  be  given.  This 
change  of  air  and  diet  will  contribute  much  towards  the  cure. 
9 


98  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

People  generally  suppose  that  cold  and  exposure  are  the  sole 
causes  of  catarrh ;  yet  it  is  a  well-known  fact,  that  many  horses 
take  cold  even  though  they  have  not,  within  several  days,  some- 
times weeks,  been  in  a  situation  where  cold  could  be  taken  after 
this  fashion;  in  short,  have  not  left  their  warm,  comfortable 
stables.  But  we  must  remember  that  a  high  temperature  is  just 
as  likely  to  bring  on  a  cold  as  any  other  cause,  especially  when 
the  subject  has  been  liberally  fed  ;  and,  indeed,  veterinary  writers 
of  the  present  day  teach  that  catarrh,  in  general,  oftener  arises 
from  heat  than  cold.  But  after  all,  an  insalubrious  atmosphere 
may  be  set  down  as  the  chief  cause  of  common  colds. 

Treatment  of  common  Catarrh.  —  If  the  weather  be  cold,  let 
the  animal  have  comfortable  quarters,  and  a  good  bed  of  clean 
straw.  A  blanket  may  be  thrown  over  the  body,  and  the  legs 
should  first  be  well  rubbed  with  a  wisp  of  straw,  and  then  ban- 
daged with  flannel.  It  has  often  been  remarked,  that  if  a  man's 
feet  are  cold,  his  whole  system  is  chilled,  and  the  same  may  be 
said  of  the  horse  ;  for,  so  long  as  the  feet  of  the  latter  are  cold, 
we  cannot  expect  to  equalize  the  circulation,  or  restore  the  ex- 
halant  function.  The  diet  should  consist  of  scalded  shorts,  and 
these  should  be  given  warm,  for  the  steam  arising  from  them  aids 
the  nasal  discharge,  and  relaxes  local  strictures.  We  have  fre- 
quently given,  with  good  effect,  a  quart  of  linseed  tea,  sweetened 
with  honey,  night  and  morning.  If  the  throat  is  sore,  a  little 
powdered  bloodroot  may  be  added.  The  soreness  of  the  throat 
may  be  relieved  by  the  following :  — 

Olive  oil, 8  ounces. 

Oil  of  cedar, 1  ounce. 

To  be  rubbed  around  the  parts  night  and  morning.  Yet,  in 
slight  cases,  a  simple  flannel  bandage  fastened  around  the  neck 
might  answer  the  purpose  just  as  well.  We  frequently  employ 
the  following,  with  a  view  of  regulating  the  secretions,  and  lubri- 
cating the  mucous  surfaces  :  — 

Powdered  elecampane, 2  ounces, 

"         licorice, 4  ounces, 

Cream  of  tartar, 1  ounce, 

Powdered  bloodroot, 4  drachms, 

"  slippery  elm, 8  ounces. 

Mix  ;  divide  into  eight  parts,  and  give  one  night  and  morning. 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.       -       99 

Treatment  of  severe  Catarrh.  —  The  same  directions  as  re- 
gards clothing,  diet,  &c,  just  enumerated,  apply  also  to  this  form 
of  disease  —  gruel  made  of  Indian  meal,  to  which  a  few  kernels 
of  garlic  may  be  added,  and  boiled  with  the  same  until  they  are 
quite  soft.  A  very  liberal  allowance  of  this  beverage  must  be 
got  into  the  horse ;  if  he  is  not  inclined  to  drink,  pour  it  down 
his  throat  from  a  bottle,  remembering,  however,  that  the  parts 
around  the  throat  are  sore,  and  require  you  to  proceed  in  the 
most  gentle  manner.  Be  kind  to  your  patient ;  let  him  know,  by 
the  manner  in  which  you  handle  him,  that  your  intentions  are 
friendly  ;  but,  above  all,  do  not  elevate  his  head  higher  than 
necessary,  nor  pour  down  the  liquor  faster  than  he  is  able  to 
swallow  it.  The  principal  object  in  the  treatment  of  this  form 
of  catarrh  is,  to  restore  the  function  of  the  skin,  which  is  one  of 
exhalation ;  and  for  this  purpose  we  resort  to  nauseants.  The 
following  is  the  best  we  know  of:  — 

Powdered  ipecacuanha, 2  drachms, 

"         lobelia, 4  drachms, 

"         bloodroot, 2  drachms, 

"         assafoetida, 1  drachm. 

Mix ;  divide  into  four  parts,  and  give  one  every  four  hours,  in 
mash  or  gruel :  if  administered  in  gruel,  add  two  ounces  of  honey, 
and  continue  the  same  until  the  whole  external  surface  feels 
warm,  which  generally  happens  after  the  administration  of  from 
four  to  six  powders.  It  is  not  advisable  to  continue  them  too 
long  when  the  patient  is  in  poor  condition,  for  the  medicine  is 
rather  prostrating  than  otherwise.  Keep  the  rectum  empty  with 
injections  of  warm  water,  into  which  a  small  quantity  of  soft 
soap  may  be  stirred. 

If  the  discharge  from  the  nostrils  is  thick  and  tenacious,  steam 
the  head,  as  recommended  in  article  Strangles.  A  very  trouble- 
some cough  may  be  relieved  by  adding  to  the  gruel  one  drachm 
of  fir  balsam,  or  balsam  copaiba.  If  the  patient  is  unwilling  to 
have  a  draught  administered,  and  refuses  to  swallow  it,  even 
though  he  is  handled  in  the  most  gentle  manner,  and  the  cough 
is  so  troublesome  that  something  must  be  done,  then  give 

Balm  of  Gilead  buds,  (chopped  fine,)    ...  1  ounce, 

Powdered  skunk  cabbage,  (ictodes  foetid.,)     .  3  drachms, 

"  slippery  elm, 3  ounces, 

"  lobelia,       2  drachms. 


100  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Mix ;  divide  into  three  powders,  and  give  one  in  the  food,  three 
times,  daily.  The  nasal  passages  may  be  kept  partially  free  from 
accumulations,  by  blowing  into  them,  from  a  quill,  a  portion  of 
the  following  catarrh  snuff:  — 

Powdered  bayberry  bark,  ^ 

"         bloodroot,  >  equal  parts. 

"  lobelia,  ) 

Catarrh,  occurring  in  any  description  of  live  stock,  may  be 
treated  on  the  general  principles  here  alluded  to.  As  regards 
the  proper  doses  of  medicine  to  be  given  to  animals  differing  in 
age,  sex,  or  kind,  very  little  need  be  said ;  for  the  agents  are  san- 
ative, and  a  small  quantity  in  addition,  or  less  than  the  doses  here 
prescribed,  as  the  case  may  be,  is  of  no  material  consequence. 
Aid  the  vital  powers ;  use  agents  favorable  to  physiological  ac- 
tion ;  administer  such  in  small  doses,  and  often ;  practise  good 
nursing ;  and  disease  will,  in  most  cases,  terminate  favorably. 

NASAL   GLEET. 

Nasal  gleet  is  considered  a  chronic  affection  of  the  Schneiderian 
surfaces.  The  discharge  consists  of  a  thick,  yellow  mucus,  and  if 
the  animal  be  at  grass,  it  assumes  a  green  color.  At  times  it 
becomes  purulent,  tinged  with  blood,  and  if  not  arrested  at  this 
stage,  it  may  finally  end  in  ulceration  of  the  cartilages  of  the 
nose :  we  then  have  a  case  of  glanders.  In  the  early  stage  of 
this  complaint,  we  often  have  enlargement  of  the  superficial 
glands  under  the  jaw,  and  this  has  led  many  who  do  not  under- 
stand the  nature  of  the  case  to  pronounce  the  subject  glandered. 
The  discharge  is  neither  persistent  nor  uniform;  for  in  fine 
weather  it  sometimes  subsides  for  several  days  at  a  time,  and 
returns  after  a  wet  day,  if  the  animal  is  exposed  to  the  rain  or 
cold ;  also  increasing  and  decreasing  with  the  fluctuations  of 
the  weather. 

In  cases  where  the  discharge  confines  itself  to  the  left  nostril, 
becomes  tenacious,  elastic,  and  accumulates  around  the  edges  of 
the  nasal  cavities,  and  is  accompanied  by  enlargement  of  the 
lymphatic  submaxillary  gland  on  this  side,  with  a  drooping  of 
the  ear,  we  may  be  prepared  for  the  worst ;  for  ten  chances  to 
one  if  it  does  not  terminate  in  glanders. 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  101 

Treatment.  —  Inject  the  nasal  passages  by  means  of  a  mid- 
dling-sized syringe,  daily,  with  an  infusion  of  "bay  berry  bark ;  one 
ounce  of  bark  to  a  pint  of  boiling  water ;  to  be  set  aside  until 
cool,  and  then  strained  through  fine  linen.  The  constitutional 
remedies  consist  of 

Grains  of  paradise,  "] 

Powdered  marshmallows,  I 

"         sulphur,  \  equal  parts. 

"         charcoal, 
White  mustard  seed,         J 

Dose,  1  ounce,  daily. 

Half  an  ounce  of  balsam  copaiba,  and  two  drachms  of  sweet 
spirits  of  nitre,  should  be  given  occasionally  in  thin  gruel. 

In  a  case  of  this  kind,  good  nutritious  diet  is  indicated.  The 
limbs  and  body  must  be  kept  warm,  and  all  exposure  avoided. 


ROARING. 

Roaring  is  considered  as  a  symptom  of  some  mechanical 
obstruction,  or  abnormal  condition,  in  or  about  the  upper  respi- 
ratory passages.  "  The  various  collected  reports  that  have  been 
made  from  time  to  time  on  the  state  of  the  air  passages  of 
roarers,  have  shown  that  all  of  them  have  produced  the  effect 
in  one  of  three  ways,  viz.,  either  by  contraction  of  the  pas- 
sage or  its  orifice ;  by  distortion  or  deformity  of  it ;  or  by  ob- 
struction within ;  and  this  difference  of  causation,  together  with 
the  part  or  place  in  which  it  exists,  will  serve  still  further  to 
account  for  the  various  hinds  of,  or  rather  sounds  emitted  in, 
roaring." 

Roaring  is  frequently  occasioned  by  a  thickening  of  the  mem- 
brane lining  the  respiratory  passages,  by  which  their  calibre  is 
diminished.  It  often  follows  laryngitis,  catarrh,  influenza,  bron- 
chitis, &c.  It  is  apt  to  follow  putrid  sore  throat ;  at  such  times 
we  may  expect  to  find  ulcerations  of  the  membrane  of  the  larynx, 
or  they  may  happen  to  be  ulcerated ;  and  if  so,  there  will  be  a 
discharge  of  glairy  fluid  from  one  or  both  nostrils.  The  thyroid 
cartilages  occasionally  become  ossified,  from  the  absurd  practice 
of  confining  a  horse's  head  in  an  unnatural  position,  and  from 
pressure  by  the  throat  latch,  which  absurd  practice  is  also  apt  to 
9* 


102  THE    MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 

produce  distortion  of  the  larynx  or  windpipe  ;  the  result  is^  then 
the  same. 

Roaring  may  also  be  occasioned  by  pressure  on  the  throat 
from  tumors,  &c,  from  tonic  spasm,  and  from  atrophy  of  the 
parts.  We  have  always  supposed  that  the  seat  of  roaring  was 
confined  to  the  upper  respiratory  passages  ;  but  the  following  case, 
related  by  Mr.  Percivall,  goes  to  show  that  the  lungs  may  be- 
come its  seat.  "  A  horse  was  treated  for  violent  roaring.  JThe 
neck  was  repeatedly  blistered ;  it  was  even  fired ;  but  still  no 
relief.  So  painful  was  it  to  hear  the  animal  roar,  when  he  was 
even  gently  led  out  of  the  stable,  that  bronchotomy  was  had  re- 
course to,  but  without  avail.  At  length,  seeing  the  animal  suf- 
fered so  much  pain  and  distress  in  breathing,  and  that  the  case 
appeared  altogether  insusceptible  of  being  relieved,  it  was  de- 
termined to  destroy  him.  On  examination,  no  thickening  of  the 
laryngeal  or  tracheal  membrane  appeared,  nor,  in  fact,  any  other 
disease  of  those  parts ;  but  the  lungs  were  hepatized  throughout 
their  substance,  and  the  smaller  divisions  of  the  bronchial  tubes 
in  many  places  so  compressed  that  they  were  hardly  pervious." 

To  prove  the  nervous  origin  of  roaring,  Mr.  Field  made  the 
following  experiment :  "  Having  ascertained  that  the  organs  of 
respiration  of  a  horse  used  for  farming  purposes  were  sound,  I 
cast  him,  and  laid  bare  the  recurrent  nerve  of  the  off  side,  and 
passed  a  ligature  loosely  around  it ;  he  was  then  allowed  to  get 
up,  and,  after  a  few  minutes,  galloped  severely  without  evincing 
the  slightest  defect  in  his  breathing.  The  nerve  was  then  drawn 
out  by  the  ligature,  and  one  inch  and  a  half  of  it  excised  ;  and 
immediately  on  only  trotting  the  horse  a  short  distance,  such  a 
degree  of  roaring  was  occasioned,  that,  had  the  exertion  been 
continued,  he  would  soon  have  fallen. 

"  I  kept  this  horse  four  years,  and  though  his  breathing  became 
much  better,  he  continued  a  sad  roarer ;  at  the  end  of  that  time 
I  destroyed  him,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  the  larynx,  which 
exhibited  the  usual  condition  of  wasted  muscles  (atrophia)  on  the 
side  deprived  of  the  influence  of  the  recurrent  nerve." 

Treatment  of  Roaring.  —  The  intelligent  reader  will  here  per- 
ceive, that  in  the  majority  of  cases  very  little  hopes  can  be  enter- 
tained of  a  cure,  and  in  fact,  the  defect  cannot  be  cured  unless  we 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  103 

can  remove  the  exciting  cause  ;  and  that,  in  cases  of  distortion, 
hepatization,  &c,  is  beyond  our  art.  If  the  difficulty  be  at  all 
removable,  we  know  of  no  better  way  to  accomplish  it  than  by 
improving  the  general  health  of  the  subject,  in  the  use  of  proper 
diet,  expectorants,  and  relaxants  ;  by  steaming  the  nasal  passages, 
&c.  If  it  arise  from  atrophy  of  the  muscles,  let  them  be  stimu- 
lated daily  with  hartshorn  liniment,  or  some  such  application, 
and  frequent  hand  rubbing.  If  from  tumors,  let  them  be  removed. 
If  the  thyroid  glands  are  enlarged,  they  should  be  rubbed  daily 
with  stimulating  liniment,  or  ointment  of  iodine.  The  horse 
should  at  all  times  have  the  free  use  of  his  head  and  neck,  or  the 
best  treatment  might  fail.  Should  the  cause  of  roaring  evidently 
exist  (below  the  fauces)  either  in  the  bronchii,  trachea,  or  lungs, 
the  operation  of  tracheotomy  may  be  preferred,  which  consists 
in  making  an  opening  into  the  trachea,  and  through  it  inserting 
a  tube,  which  may  be  worn  for  any  length  df  time,  by  taking  the 
precaution  to  cleanse  it  occasionally.     See  Tracheotomy. 

COMMON   COUGH 

Cough  is  defined  as  a  sonorous  concussion  of  the  thorax,  pro- 
duced by  the  sudden  expulsion  of  air  through  the  vocal  organs. 
It  is  present,  and  often  causes  some  annoyance  to  the  patient, 
when  suffering  from  catarrh,  laryngitis,  bronchitis,  strangles,  horse 
ail,  &c.  Cough  is  present  also  in  cases  of  deranged  digestive 
organs,  and  when  a  quantity  of  worms  are  present  in  the  diges- 
tive cavity.  We  examined  a  horse  once  which  was  the  subject  of 
chronic  cough  from  diseased  liver.  During  life  the  mucous  sur- 
faces were  always  more  or  less  tinged  with  bile ;  he  was  subject 
to  constipation  also.  The  post  mortem  revealed  a  tuberculous 
liver.  A  common  cough,  therefore,  may  attend  various  forms  of 
disease.  In  many  cases  of  a  catarrhal  character,  when  a  quantity 
of  mucus  accumulates  in  the  respiratory  passages,  the  act  of 
coughing  ejects  it,  and  thus  relieves  the  animal ;  therefore,  a 
cough  of  this  kind  may  be  salutary  rather  than  otherwise,  and 
in  that  event  needs  no  treatment. 

A  sympathetic  cough  can  only  be  cured  by  directing  our  reme- 
dies to  the  seat  of  the  malady ;  that  cured,  the  cough  ceases. 


104  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

It  does  not  interfere  with  the  treatment  of  any  disease,  how- 
ever, to  use  simple  remedies  to  mitigate  a  cough  which  seems  so 
intense  as  to  cause  the  patient  some  annoyance ;  in  this  view  we 
resort  to 

Powdered  slippery  elm,       "1 
"         Indian  turnip,     ( 
"         elecampane,         >  of  each  4  ounces. 
"         skunk  cabbage,  j 
"         caraway  seeds,  J 

Dose,  half  an  ounce  twice  a  day,  in  gruel. 

A  cough  may  sometimes  continue  after  the  disappearance  of 
pulmonary  disease,  catarrh,  influenza,  &c. :  for  this  we  prescribe 

Balsam  of  fir,     . "  .    .    .    .    .    .     1  ounce, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,      ....     2  ounces, 

Sirup  of  garlic, 4  ounces. 

Dissolve  the  balsam  in  the  nitre,  then  add  the  garlic.  Dose,  one 
ounce,  night  and  morning  ;  to  be  given  in  mucilage  or  thin  gruel. 
For  an  old  chronic  cough  that  seems  likely  to  wear  the  animal 
out,  and  also  the  patience  of  its  owner,  depending  perhaps  on 
some  organic  change,  or  irritable  state  of  the  respiratory  surfaces, 
use  counter  irritation,  and  give  a  dose  of  the  following,  night  and 


Powdered  pleurisy  root, 
"         licorice, 
"         lobelia, 
"         sulphur, 
"         sassafras, 
"         bloodroot, 


equal  parts. 


Dose,  one  ounce,  night  and  morning,  for  the  first  two  days  ;  then 
omit  the  morning  dose.     To  be  mixed  with  the  food. 

A  cough  occasioned  by  derangements  of  the  digestive  organs, 
or  from  worms,  &c,  may  be  always  relieved  by  the  following :  — 


Powdered  worm  seed, 
Whole  mustard  seed, 
Castile  soap  shavings, 
Powdered  goldenseal, 
"         poplar  bark, 
"         sulphur, 
"         salt, 
"         charcoal, 


>  of  each  1  ounce. 


Mix ;  and  divide  the  mass  into  eight  parts,  and  give  one  every 
night  in  the  food. 

In  the  treatment  of  any  kind  of  cough,  the  horse  should  be  de- 
prived of  his  usual  amount  of  water,  and  be  compelled  to  drink 


THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  105 

some  flaxseed  or  slippery  elm  tea.     If  the  throat  prove  sore,  bathe 
it  every  night  with  tincture  of  capsicum. 

TRACHEOTOMY. 

This  operation  consists  in  making  an  opening  into  the  windpipe 
to  admit  air  to  the  lungs,  when  the  natural  passage  is  obstructed 
by  foreign  bodies,  or  when  its  calibre  is  lessened  by  tumefaction 
occasioned  by  disease.  In  severe  cases  of  laryngitis,  strangles, 
and  their  kindred  diseases,  when  the  patient  seems  almost  suffo- 
cated, tracheotomy  should  be  immediately  performed.  In  per- 
forming the  operation,  we  select  a  spot  about  six  inches  below  the 
throat,  in  front  of  the  neck,  and  over  the  region  of  the  windpipe ; 
an  incision  is  to  be  made  with  a  common  penknife,  (in  lieu  of  a 
better  instrument,)  to  the  extent  of  two  or  three  inches,  in  a  down- 
ward direction,  so  as  to  lay  bare  the  trachea;  having  exposed 
space  sufficient,  a  circular  piece  between  two  rings,  corresponding 
to  the  size  of  the  tube,  is  to  be  cut  out,  and  a  short  tube  inserted, 
which  can  be  confined  in  position  by  means  of  tape  passed  around 
the  neck.  When  the  obstruction  is  removed,  or  the  fauces  restored 
to  their  natural  state,  remove  the  tube,  bring  the  edges  of  the 
integuments  together,  and  sew  them  up. 

BLEEDING  FROM  THE  NOSE.  —  (Epistaxis.) 

Common  hemorrhage  from  the  nose  is  not  of  itself  dangerous, 
for  we  never  knew,  nor  do  we  ever  remember  hearing,  of  its  being 
fatal;  it  merely  indicates  a  congestive  state  of  the  nasal,  and 
sometimes  the  cerebral  membranes,  or  blood  vessels ;  as  a  symp- 
tom, therefore,  which  it  really  is,  of  local  congestion,  it  informs  us 
that  there  is  an  unequal  distribution  of  the  circulating  fluid,  or 
else  the  patient  is  plethoric.  In  either  case  the  treatment  is 
simple :  we  merely  cool  the  head,  warm  the  limbs,  give  a  dose 
or  two  of  laxative  medicine,  exercise  the  patient,  and  regulate 
the  diet  according  to  circumstances.  When  the  blood  appears 
frothy  and  of  a  dirty  color,  issuing  from  one  nostril  only,  the 
breath  being  fetid,  the  respirations  somewhat  hurried,  attended 
by  cough,  the  owner  had  better  consult  a  veterinary  surgeon, 
for  the  horse  is  proably,  or  will  be,  the  subject  of  glanders. 


106  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 


HEAVES,    OR  BROKEN  WIND. 

Chronic  heaves  is  that  condition  of  a  horse  which  veterinarians 
designate  as  broken  wind.  In  cases  of  this  character,  the  act  of 
inspiration  is  followed  by  a  violent  heaving  motion  of  the  ribs  and 
flanks  ;  this  is  the  source,  probably,  from  whence  the  term  heaves 
is  derived. 

The  disease  bears  some  resemblance  to  asthma  in  the  human 
subject,  for  in  each  there  is  nearly  the  same  difficulty  in  respi- 
ration, attended  with  dyspepsia  and  emaciation ;  there  is  this  differ- 
ence, however  —  in  man  there  are  remissions ;  while  in  the  horse 
with  confirmed  heaves  (broken  wind)  there  is  scarcely  any  cessa- 
tion. It  is  quite  common,  in  Massachusetts,  to  hear  horsemen 
define  every  case  of  abdominal  respiration  as  heaves:  such  are  not 
to  be  considered,  however,  as  so  many  cases  of  broken  wind.  In 
order  to  make  out  a  pure  case  of  the  latter,  we  must  have  a  kind 
of  jerking  double  flank  movement  in  the  process  of  expiration. 
Distention  of  the  lungs,  or  inspiration,  must  also  be  followed  by  a 
corresponding  expansion  of  the  chest  and  flanks.  A  slight  cough 
is  generally  present,  which  has  a  wheezing  sound,  sometimes 
resembling  a  sort  of  grunt,  and  the  subject  is  a  confirmed  dys- 
peptic having  a  voracious  appetite,  staring  coat,  large  belly 
(tympanic),  spare  muscles,  dull  miserable  look,  drooping  head, 
unwilling  to  travel  fast,  and  when  urged  to  do  so,  becomes  soon 
exhausted  and  "  used  up  ;  "  the  excretions  also  indicate  derange- 
ment of  the  digestive  organs.  These  are  the  principal  symptoms 
of  broken  wind,  and  we  have  generally  found  these  present  in 
what  is  called  " heaves" 

Regarding  the  nature  of  broken  wind  —  which,  however,  is  a 
very  funny  name  for  a  pathological  condition  of  this  character  — 
it  originates  in  disease  occurring  either  in  the  organs  of  digestion 
or  of  respiration  ;  the  former  affecting  the  latter,  through  the 
sympathy  that  is  known  to  exist  between  them,  or  else  from 
innutrition  —  the  digestive  organs  failing  to  furnish  the  proper 
amount  of  nutrimental  matter  to  supply  the  respiratory  apparatus 
with  its  required  fuel.  The  lungs,  or  rather  its  air  cells,  are  then 
dilated,  while  the  respiratory  passages  and  lining  membranes  are 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  107 

contracted  or  lessened  in  calibre,  either  from  contraction  of  their 
tubes  or  thickening  of  their  lining  membranes  ;  and  this  state  of 
the  parts  is  all  that  we  require  to  explain  the  peculiar  phenomena 
of  abdominal  respiration. 

Yet  there  are  various  states  and  conditions  of  the  respiratory 
apparatus  which  may  give  rise  to  broken  wind  ;  in  fact,  any 
organic  change  that  permits  dilatation  of  the  air  cells  and  bronchial 
tubes,  without  a  corresponding  enlargement  of  the  upper  air 
passages,  they  retaining  their  original  size,  may  result  in  broken 
wind.  In  some  cases  the  lungs  are  emphysematose  —  their 
substance  inflated  with  the  gases  of  the  body,  without  perceptible 
rupture  of  parenchyma ;  a  state  resembling  that  known  as  pneu- 
matosis, a  collection  of  air  under  the  cellular  tissue  of  the  skin ; 
they  are  then  specifically  lighter,  and  larger,  than  in  their  natural 
state.  In  such  cases  we  often  find  the  diaphragm  in  a  state  of 
atrophy,  pale  and  attenuated,  from  over  distention  and  extra 
work.  The  direct  causes  of  heaves  or  broken  wind  are  over- 
exertion and  indigestion. 

Treatment.  —  The  object  is  to  improve  the  patient's  health ; 
and  if  we  can  do  this  successfully,  an  improvement  in  a  curable 
case  generally  follows.  We  must  restore  digestion  in  order  to 
cure  indigestion,  and  in  this  view  we  give  aromatic  tonics ;  the 
following  we  have  used  with  considerable  success :  — 
Tincture  of  aromatic  sulphuric  acid. 

Written  for,  by  physicians,  thus :  — 

R. 

Tr.  acid  sulph.  aro. 

Dose,  one  drachm  in  a  pint  of  water,  night  and  morning.  Most 
animals,  however,  will  drink  it  from  a  bucket.  In  the  mean  time 
we  put  the  animal  on  a  course  of  the  following  alterative  medi- 
cine :  Powdered  ginger,  gentian,  sulphur,  salt,  cream  of  tartar, 
charcoal,  licorice,  elecampane,  caraway  seeds,  and  balm  of  Gilead 
buds,  (chopped  fine,)  equal  parts.  Dose,  one  ounce  every  night 
in  the  food. 

Changes  in  diet,  exercise,  and  management,  calculated  to  fulfil 
the  indications  alluded  to  above,  are  indispensable.  So  soon  as 
considerable  improvement  is  perceptible,  the  aromatic  tincture 


108  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

should  be  omitted ;  and,  instead  of  giving  one  ounce  of  the  alter- 
ative as  a  dose,  give  half  an  ounce  night  and  morning.  A  broken- 
winded  horse  should  always  be  watered  from  a  bucket,  regularly 
three  times  a  day ;  and  if  he  be  a  foul  feeder,  arm  him  with  a 
muzzle,  and  only  remove  it  at  meal  time.  In  addition  to  the 
above  remedies,  we  occasionally  allow  a  small  quantity  of  garlic, 
say  a  couple  of  heads  every  other  day,  chopped  fine,  and  mixed 
in  the  food. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUT.  — MALE  ORGANS. 


1.  Posterior  vena  cava. 

2.  Posterior  aorta. 

3.  Supra  renal  capsules. 

4.  Kidneys. 

5.  Ureters. 

6.  Bladder. 

7.  The  bladder  laid  open  to  show  its  mucous  coat. 

8.  Vesiculae  seminales,  or  seed  receptacles. 

9.  Prostate  glands. 

10.  Vasa  deferentia ;  these  transmit  the  semen  to  its  receptacles. 

11.  Epididymis. 

12.  Testicle. 

13.  Tunica  vaginalis,  or  covering  of  the  testicle. 

14.  Spermatic  arteries  and  veins. 

15.  Corpora  cavernosa,  or  body  of  the  penis. 

16.  Urethra. 

17.  Glans  penis,  or  head. 

18.  Orifice  of  the  urethra. 

19.  External  tunic  of  the  penis. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  URINARY  ORGANS. 

INFLAMMATION   OF  THE  KIDNEYS.  —  {Nephritis.) 

In  the  horse  the  kidneys  are  considered  the  great  emunctories, 
their  office  being  to  carry  off  a  large  amount  of  superfluous  ex- 
crementitious  fluid.  If  any  one  will  examine  the  urine  of  an 
animal  that  is  allowed  an  unlimited  quantity  of  hay  and  grain,  he 
will  find  the  urine  thick,  ropy,  and  of  a  bad  odor.     This  is  most 


THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 


109 


MALE  ORGANS  OF  GENERATION. 
10 


110 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


likely,  however,  to  happen  when  the  animal  is  not  regularly 
worked.  It  is  very  natural  to  suppose  that  urine  of  this  kind, 
abounding  in  morbific  materials,  should  irritate  the  membranes 
lining  the  urinary  organs,  and  result  in  a  high  grade  of  inflamma- 
tory action.  Yet  the  disease  may  arise  from  other  causes.  We 
have  known  it  produced  by  repeated  doses  of  gin  and  saleratus, 
and  spirits  of  turpentine ;  but  generally,  these  agents  involve  the 
ureters  and  bladder  in  the  inflammatory  diathesis.  It  has  gen- 
erally been  considered  that  the  disease  is  often  brought  about  by 
over-exertion,  either  in  drawing  heavy  loads,  or  in  holding  back 
(shaft  horses)  on  going  down  hill ;  in  fact,  immoderate  work  of 
any  kind  might  result  in  a  disease  of  this  character. 

Symptoms.  —  A  constant  desire  to  void  urine,  although  only 
passed  in  small  quantities,  high  colored,  and  sometimes  tinged 
with  blood,  though  more  generally  quite  natural.  There  is  usu- 
ally a  peculiar  stiffness  in  the  hind  extremities,  especially  when 
the  horse  is  made  to  describe  a  circle.  Pressure  on  the  loins 
elicits  symptoms  of  pain,  and  the  pulse  and  respirations  denote 
febrile  symptoms. 

Treatment.  —  Apply  a  cold  water  bandage  to  the  loins,  and 
administer  a  drench  composed  of 

Linseed  oil, )    .   ,     e       , 

Mucilage  of  slippery  elm, £  pint  of  each. 

Enemas  of  warm  water  should  be  given  daily.  The  less  fluid 
the  animal  drinks,  the  better ;  and  the  best  drink,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, is  flaxseed  tea.  Should  the  horse  refuse  to  partake 
of  it,  a  sloppy  mess,  made  of  oatmeal  and  boiling  water,  will 
answer,  and  he  will  probably  prefer  it  to  the  former.  In  a  few 
cases,  which  were  considered  of  recent  origin,  we  have  prescribed 
a  solution  of  muriate  of  iron,  in  doses  of  two  fluid  drachms,  twice 
a  day,  and  we  have  reason  to  think  that  the  remedy  did  some 
good.  The  article  should  be  turned  into  pure  water,  and  offered 
to  the  patient  in  a  bucket.  This  preparation  of  iron  is  a  valuable 
tonic,  and  in  chronic  cases  will  generally  prove  serviceable.  In 
the  acute  stage,  and  after  the  bowels  have  responded  to  some 
mild  cathartic,  either  linseed  oil,  Glauber  salts,  or  a  decoction  of 
marshmallows  will  have  a  beneficial  effect.  The  decoction  is 
thus  prepared :  Take  of  marshmallow  roots,  dried  and  bruised, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  Ill 

eight  ounces,  water  three  quarts  ;  boil  down  to  two  quarts.  When 
cool,  strain,  and  give  a  pint  every  six  hours,  until  the  horse  is 
relieved. 

This  simple  treatment,  aided  by  a  light  diet  and  rest,  will 
generally  effect  a  cure.  If,  however,  the  disease  arises  from 
concretions  within  the  cavity  of  the  kidneys,  the  case  will  require 
the  aid  of  a  skilful  veterinary  surgeon. 

The  author  has  noticed  in  stables  celebrated  for  the  number  of 
horses  with  a  stiff,  straddling  gait,  laboring  under  an  attack  of 
acute  or  chronic  form  of  nephritis,  that  there  is,  generally,  a 
bountiful  supply  of  rosin  on  hand,  and  on  several  occasions  has 
learned  that  the  parties  having  charge  of  the  animals  are  much 
in  favor  of  diuretic  medicine,  and  think  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
give  a  dose  now  and  then.  This  haphazard  dosing  is  no  doubt 
the  cause  of  the  mischief;  for  diuretics,  which  generally  act  with 
extraordinary  power  on  the  horse,  diverting  the  excrementitious 
fluids  from  the  skin  and  lungs,  are  apt  to  produce  inflammation, 
and  thus  induce  chronic  disease  of  the  kidneys.  Many  horses 
that  can  readily  be  found  suffering  from  what  their  owners  term 
strain  of  the  loins,  are,  no  doubt,  so  many  cases  of  chronic  dis- 
ease of  these  organs. 

On  chronic  disease  of  the  kidneys,  Mr.  Percivall  writes,  "  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  nephritis,  in  a  mild  or  subacute  form, 
exists  in  many  instances,  wherein,  from  the  trifling  perceptible 
alterations  induced  by  it  in  the  ordinary  health  of  the  animal,  we 
are  apt  either  altogether  to  overlook  the  disorder,  or  else  to  re- 
gard it  as  too  unimportant  to  notice.  Horses  are  often  brought 
to  us  with  complaints  of  pain  and  difficulty  in  staling  —  of  the 
urine  they  pass  being  thick,  foul,  or  bloody  ;  and  which  horses 
probably  may,  on  inquiry,  be  found  to  show  some  stiffness  about 
the  loins  when  first  brought  from  the  stable,  though  by  use  the 
parts  soon  grow  pliant  again.  And  yet  in  a  general  way  they 
exhibit  every  sign  of  health.  With  these  facts  we  may  connect 
the  circumstance  of  occasionally  discovering,  in  horses  which  have 
died  from  other  causes,  purulent  matter  within  the  kidneys,  and 
now  and  then  disorganization  of  their  substance,  and  without  any 
thing  having  occurred  during  life  to  direct  our  attention  to 
those  organs." 


112  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

As  it  is  a  common  custom  to  administer  diuretics  to  horses 
when  the  urine  does  not  appear  just  about  right,  it  may  be  well 
for  us  to  notice  some  of  its  variations :  — 

"  1.  In  respect  to  age.  In  the  foetus  it  is  inodorous,  insipid,  and 
almost  aqueous ;  but  as  the  young  grow,  it  becomes  more  acrid 
and  fetid,  and  in  old  age  more  particularly  so. 

"  2.  In  respect  to  drink.  The  urine  is  secreted  in  greater  quan- 
tity, and  of  a  more  pale  color,  from  cold  and  copious  draughts. 

"3.  In  respect  to  food.  From  eating  the  heads  of  asparagus, 
or  olives,  it  contracts  a  peculiar  smell ;  from  the  fruit  of  the 
opuntia  it  becomes  red ;  and  from  fasting,  turbid. 

"  4.  In  respect  to  medicines.  From  the  exhibition  of  rhubarb 
root  it  becomes  yellow;  from  cassia  purple-green ;  and  from  tur- 
pentine it  acquires  a  violet  color. 

"5.  In  respect  to  the  time  of  year.  In  the  winter  the  urine  is 
more  copious  and  aqueous ;  but  in  the  summer,  from  the  increased 
transpiration  of  the  skin,  it  is  more  sparing,  highly  colored,  and 
so  acrid  that  it  sometimes  occasions  strangury.  The  climate 
induces  the  same  difference. 

"  6.  In  respect  to  muscular  action  of  the  body.  The  urine  is 
secreted  more  sparingly,  and  concentrated  by  motion ;  and  is 
more  copiously  diluted  and  rendered  crude  by  rest." 

From  the  above  remarks,  which  to  some  extent  apply  to  horses, 
and  from  the  result  of  experiments  made  on  horses,  we  learn 
that  the  urine  is  subject  to  great  variations  ;  and  therefore,  should 
it  not  appear  natural,  diuretics  are  not  always  indicated. 

It  is  generally  supposed  that  diuretics  act  on  the  kidneys  in  a 
much  shorter  time  than  other  classes  of  medicines  do  on  various 
other  parts  of  the  animal  economy.  Magendie  explains  this  on 
the  principle  that  diuretics,  in  the  fluid  form,  "  are  directly  ab- 
sorbed by  the  veins,  and  transported  by  them  to  the  liver  and 
heart,  so  that  the  direction  which  these  liquids  follow,  in  order  to 
reach  the  bladder,  is  much  shorter  than  is  generally  admitted, 
viz.,  by  the  lymphatic  vessels,  the  mesenteric  glands,  and  the 
thoracic  duct."  We  have  said  that  simple  treatment,  light  diet, 
and  rest  will  generally  effect  a  cure  of  nephritis  ;  we  must,  how- 
ever, have  a  curable  case,  and  be  permitted  to  attend  to  it  in  the 
early  stage,  for  cases  of  this  kind  sometimes  terminate  in  degen- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  115 

eration  of  the  kidney,  and  result  in  death.  A  case  of  softening 
of  the  kidney  has  been  communicated  to  the  Veterinarian,  by  Mr. 
Cartwright,  who  observes,  "Each  kidney  was  found  to  be  in  a 
complete  state  of  putrefaction,  of  a  light  bluish  color  ;  its  texture 
so  totally  destroyed  that  the  finger  would  pass  through  any  part 
of  it  as  through  so  much  mud.  The  vessels  of  the  kidneys  did 
not  appear  diseased  as  I  drew  them  out  of  the  diseased  masses." 
Diseased  kidneys  are  apt  to  terminate  in  abscess,  mortification, 
hypertrophy,  condensation,  induration,  cvsc.  Such  cases  are  apt, 
however,  to  baffle  the  best  medical  skill.  For  information  on 
these  terminations  of  nephritis,  consult  ffijjpopajhology,  D'Ar- 
boval,  and  the  Veterinarian. 

BLOODY  URINE.—  (mentatwria.) 

The  voiding  of  blood  with  urine  is  generally  indicative  of  an 
injury  sustained  by  some  portion  of  the  urinary  organs,  either  by 
falls,  blows,  bruises,  or  strains.  It  may,  however,  arise  from  in- 
juries directly  inflicted  on  the  tissues  by  urinary  calculi,  &c. 

A  discharge  of  blood  with  urine  is  generally  attended  with 
acute  pain,  evinced  by  the  peculiar  motions  of  the  animal,  which 
are  readily  recognized. 

The  voiding  of  such  urine  is  often  attended  with  danger, 
especially  when  mixed  with  matter  of  a  purulent  character. 

In  some  of  the  diseases  of  horses  and  cattle,  manifesting  a  pu- 
trid type,  the  urine  is  of  a  color  resembling  blood ;  such  general- 
ly terminate  fatally.  Now  and  then  cows  void  very  high-colored 
urine.  It  is  considered,  generally,  a  disease,  and  receives  the 
appellation  of  red  water,  although  in  many  cases  it  is  a  link  in  a 
chain  of  symptoms,  which,  if  carefully  traced,  will  be  found  to 
be  connected  with  a  disease  of  gastric  origin. 

If  a  horse  voids  pure  blood,  it  may  be  known  by  inspecting 
the  urine  ;  some  of  it  should  be  caught  and  examined  ;  if  found 
to  contain  small  coagula,  it  may  be  pronounced  bloody  urine  ;  oth- 
erwise we  must  not  be  too  hasty  in  our  opinion ;  for  a  high  state 
of  inflammatory  action  pervading  the  urinary  apparatus  —  the 
liver,  &c,  give  rise  to  discharge  of  urine  very  much  resembling 
bloody.  When  the  trouble  can  satisfactorily  be  traced  to  a  blow, 
10* 


114  THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR. 

strain,  over-exertion,  or  whatever  cause  it  may  be,  our  treatment 
is  somewhat  similar  to  that  for  inflammation  of  the  bladder  and 
kidneys.  When  owing  to  calculi  being  present  in  the  ureters  or 
elsewhere,  our  remedies  must  be  palliative  ;  mucilaginous  drinks, 
enemas,  warm  or  cold  water  bandages  to  the  loins,  rest,  and  an 
occasional  aperient,  if  necessary,  to  clear  out  the  bowels,  are 
among  the  most  rational  means  in  use.  To  relieve  pain,  if  it  be 
very  acute,  let  the  patient  be  drenched  with 

Powdered  assafoetida, 2  drachms, 

Tincture  of  Indian  hemp, 1  drachm, 

Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

Mix ;  and  administer  from  a  bottle,  once  or  twice,  daily,  as  the 
urgency  of  the  case  demands. 

The  symptoms  usually  noticed  by  the  attendant,  in  cases  of 
hematuria  caused  by  the  presence  of  urinary  calculi,  are,  that 
the  patient  appears  dull,  very  uneasy,  frequently  lying  down  and 
getting  up  again.  Urinary  calculi  can  only  be  removed  by  a 
skilful  veterinary  surgeon. 

THICK   (ALBUMINOUS)   UEINE. 

Those  who  have  the  care  of  horses  frequently  complain  that 
their  charges  pass  "  thick,  ropy  "  urine ;  and,  in  order  to  remedy 
the  supposed  evil,  they  too  frequently  resort  to  strong  diuretics, 
and  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  they  do  more  harm  than  good. 
Thick  urine  is  at  times  an  evil  that  only  exists  in  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  groom  ;  for  horses  that  are  over-fed,  or  even  fed  on 
grain  of  an  inferior  quality,  are  often  known  to  pass  albuminous, 
at  least  thick,  ropy  urine,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  it  again 
assumes  its  natural  properties.  There  can  be  no  need  of  diuret- 
ics in  such  cases.  It  does  not  follow  that  because  a  horse  passes 
"  thick  "  urine,  his  urinary  organs  are  diseased  ;  far  from  it. 
The  chemico-vital  powers  of  digestion  cannot  always  control 
the  heterogeneous  affinities  that  exist  between  the  various  agents 
known  as  fodder,  foul  bedding,  &c. ;  consequently  they  often  fer- 
ment or  decompose,  and  thus  give  rise  to  noxious  compounds, 
which  must  be  eliminated  or  the  animal  would  soon  fall  sick. 

When  a  plethoric  horse  has  copious  sediments  in  the  urine, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  115 

we  may  consider  that  it  is  a  favorable  omen,  and  that  the  tissues 
are  relieving  themselves  of  useless  matter. 

Albumen  is  generally  present  in  the  urine  in  many  diseases 
of  an  acute  character,  such  as  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  pleura, 
liver,  peritoneum,  and  heart,  and  hence  can  only,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, be  considered  as  a  symptom,  rather  than  a  disorder 
of  itself,  and  a  favorable  symptom,  too  ;  for  Dr.  Bird  has  adduced 
evidence  to  show  that  in  many  disorders  there  is  a  steady  and 
considerable  increase  in  the  quantity  of  solid  excreta  whenever 
the  patient  improved,  and  as  remarkable  a  diminution  when  the 
symptoms  relapsed.* 

It  is  a  well-established  fact,  however,  that  in  cases  of  diseased 
kidney,  termed  Bright's  disease,  the  urine  becomes  albuminous  ; 
but  so  far  as  our  observation  goes,  the  disease  so  prevalent  in 
the  human  family  is  very  rare  in  the  horse.  Should  any  dis- 
ease of  these  organs  exist,  it  may  be  known  by  the  straddling 
gait,  and  other  symptoms  enumerated  under  the  head  of  Inflam- 
mation of  the  Kidneys. 

The  urine,  at  times,  has  a  thick,  gelatinous,  straw-colored  ap- 
pearance, containing  a  large  amount  of  excrementitious  material; 
this  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  albuminous  urine,  for  horses 
very  frequently  pass  very  thick,  and  to  all  appearances  morbid 
urine,  especially  when  fed  high  and  worked  but  little.  The 
urine  of  this  kind  can  always  be  improved  by  proper  attention  to 
the  horse's  management.  Albuminous  urine  is  known  by  being 
of  bright-yellow  color,  of  the  consistence  of  jelly,  and  can  be 
lifted  from  the  floor  between  the  fingers,  in  the  form  of  shreds 
or  strings. 

Should  the  owner  of  the  horse  feel  desirous  of  doing  some- 
thing to  liquefy  the  urine,  and  give  it  a  more  natural  appear- 
ance, —  although  we  do  not  think  that  the  horse,  in  all  cases, 
would  be  benefited  thereby, —  he  may  give  the  following:  — 

Powdered  assafoetida, 1  ounce, 

"         poplar  bark,        8  ounces, 

"         juniper  berries,       2  ounces. 

Mix ;  and  divide  the  mass  into  eight  parts,  and  give  one  niglri 
and  morning,  in  the  food. 

*  On  Urinary  Deposits,  &c,  by  Dr.  G.  Bird. 


116  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

It  may  be  proper,  in  all  cases  where  the  horse  passes,  for  any 
length  of  time,  urine  that  appears  to  be  albuminous,  for  the  own- 
er to  consult  a  veterinary  surgeon. 

CAUSES  OF  ALBUMINOUS   URINE. 

"  M.  Ed.  Robin  lately  read  a  paper  on  the  above  subject  before 
the  Academy  of  Medicine  of  Paris.  We  subjoin  an  abstract  of 
the  same  :  In  the  normal  state  the  albumen  is  burnt  in  the  blood, 
and  the  nitrogenized  residue  of  this  combustion,  viz.,  urea  and 
uric  acid,  is  eliminated  by  the  urine.  The  combustion  is,  how- 
ever, not  so  complete  as  not  to  allow  some  little  albumen  to 
escape  with  the  renal  secretion  ;  but  this  albumen,  besides  being 
very  small  in  amount,  is  somewhat  different  from  the  ordinary 
kind.  M.  Robin  thinks  that  if  during  a  sufficiently  long  time 
the  albumen  underwent  in  the  circulation  a  much  smaller  amount 
of  combustion  than  is  habitually  the  case,  it  might  pass  unaltered 
into  the  urine,  instead  of  being  thrown  off  in  the  form  of  urea 
and  uric  acid.  The  author  cites  the  following  facts  in  support 
of  his  opinion  :  — 

"  The  urine  becomes  albuminous  in  croup,  in  complete  ascites, 
and  in  cases  of  capillary  bronchitis,  with  emphysema,  accom- 
panied by  much  dyspnoea  ;  in  pulmonary  phthisis,  especially  when 
complicated  by  pneumonia  and  marked  with  difficult  breathing ; 
in  gestation,  when  sufficiently  advanced  to  occasion  an  habitual 
congestion  of  the  kidneys,  owing  to  an  impeded  abdominal  circu- 
lation ;  and  in  such  states  of  the  system  in  which  a  very  incom- 
plete respiration  causes  a  marked  diminution  of  combustion. 
The  urine  is  also  albuminous  in  cyanosis  of  whichever  nature  it 
may  be  ;  in  affections  of  the  heart,  when  they  exist  in  such  a 
degree  as  to  keep  the  patient  in  a  state  of  semi-asphyxia ;  and, 
of  course,  in  such  cases  where  an  obstacle  to  the  circulation  of 
the  blood,  or  a  malformation  of  the  heart,  prevents  the  hasmato- 
6is  from  being  as  rapid  as  under  ordinary  circumstances.  The 
urine  is  likewise  albuminous  in  idiopathic  or  traumatic  lesions  of 
the  nervous  centres,  which  cause  a  lowering  of  temperature,  and 
thereby  a  marked  decrease  of  combustion  ;  in  diabetes,  a  disease 
where  very  often  a  lesion  of  the  nervous  centre  seems  to  be  the 


Till:    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  117 

origo  mali  ;  where  the  great  abundance  of  sugar  in  the  blood 
seems  to  be  an  obstacle  to  the  combustion  of  albumen ;  and 
where,  finally,  the  natural  heat  is  lowered  by  one  or  two  degrees 
with  patients  who  are  severely  affected.  The  urine  is  albumi- 
nous in  that  kind  of  nervous  exhaustion  which  characterizes  the 
state  of  frame  called  lumbago,  which  exhaustion  must  be  con- 
nected with  a  great  diminution  of  calorification  and  slow  com- 
bustion. The  urine  is  likewise  albuminous  in  consequence  of 
severe  exposure  to  cold  of  a  large  surface  of  the  body.  Finally, 
Bright's  disease,  where  the  urine  is  always  albuminous  and 
ancemic,  is  especially  attributed  to  many  of  the  causes  which 
have  been  above  enumerated  as  capable  of  exciting  the  passage 
of  albumen  into  the  urine. 

"  The  author  continues  by  stating  that  some  useful  data  may 
be  obtained  from  comparative  physiology.  As  a  general  rule, 
the  urine  of  the  common  mammalia  and  of  birds  contains  no  al- 
bumen. Among  reptiles,  on  the  other  hand,  the  batrachia,  so 
remarkable  for  the  low  temperature  of  their  animal  heat,  yield 
urine  in  which  albumen  is  always  to  be  found.  It  now  remains 
to  be  proved,  says  M.  Robin,  that  the  urine  becomes  albumi- 
nous under  the  influence  of  such  agents  as  interfere  in  a  marked 
degree  with  slow  combustion.  The  author  then  adduces  the 
folowing  conclusions :  — 

"  When  the  activity  of  the  combustion  which  takes  place  in 
the  blood  is  too  feeble  to  burn  the  whole  of  the  albumen  which, 
in  the  normal  state,  should  be  consumed  in  a  given  time,  the  gen- 
eral vitality  is  diminished,  and  thus  more  or  less  albumen  is  al- 
lowed to  pass  unaltered  into  the  urine,  viz.,  just  so  much  organic 
matter  as  escapes  the  transformation  into  urea  or  uric  acid. 
The  proportion  of  urea  contained  in  albuminous  urine  should, 
therefore,  be  smaller  than  it  is  found  in  normal  urine,  and  such 
is  found  to  be  the  case  in  the  following  diseases,  the  only  ones, 
according  to  the  author,  in  which  experiments  have  been  made, 
viz.,  pulmonary  phthisis,  diseases  of  cerebro-spinal  axis,  ex- 
tensive and  acute  bronchitis,  with  intense  dyspnoea,  and  Bright's 
disease."  —  Percivall. 


118  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 


PROFUSE   STALING.  —  (Diabetes  insipidus.) 

Profuse  staling — when  there  is  an  immoderate  flow  of  urine 
of  its  usual  color  and  odor  —  is  technically  named  diabetes 
insipidus  ;  but  we  doubt  very  much  if  it  can  with  propriety  be 
considered  as  a  disease,  for  mere  augmentation  of  urine  can  be 
brought  about  at  pleasure ;  we  have  only  to  give  the  animal  a 
dose  of  gin,  juniper,  or  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  or  let  him  drink 
large  quantities  of  water,  as  animals  sometimes  will  when  thirsty, 
and  then  let  the  subject  stand  in  a  cold  place ;  an  immoderate 
flow  of  urine  generally  follows. 

On  p.  345  of  Hippopathology,  we  read  that  "simple  aug- 
mentation of  urinary  discharges,  without  any  material  change  in 
the  composition  of  the  urine,  is  the  effect  of  a  multitude  of  causes, 
some  of  an  alimentary,  others  of  a  medicinal,  and  others  again  of 
a  nervous  nature,  and,  when  but  temporary,  cannot  be  viewed  in 
the  light  of  disease.  Every  horseman  knows  how  very  often 
certain  kinds  of  hay  and  corn  cause  horses  to  stale  more  than 
they  ought  to  do,  and  that  drinking  a  large  quantity  even  of  plain 
water  will  produce  the  same  result.  Medicines  called  urine  balls, 
or  diuretics,  are  given  for  the  especial  purpose  of  increasing  the 
urine.  But  nervousness  will  likewise  do  it ;  fright,  or  anxiety 
of  almost  any  kind,  will  make  a  horse  stale  inordinately ;  how 
frequently  do  we  see  hunters  at  the  covert  side,  when  the  hounds 
are  about  "finding"  staling  or  continually  stretching  themselves 
out  to  do  so ;  and  I  have  seen  horses  having  wounds  commence 
staling  the  moment  the  twitch  was  put  on,  from  the  remembrance 
that  it  was  the  prelude  to  some  painful  cutting  or  dressing  they 
had  undergone  before." 

The  horse  has  four  depuratory  surfaces,  viz.,  the  skin,  lungs, 
digestive  surface,  and  kidneys ;  in  health,  and  under  favorable 
circumstances,  there  is  an  equilibrium  of  action  in  these  parts, 
that  is,  a  constant  exercise  of  function,  eliminating  from  the  com- 
mon mass  of  the  fluids,  such  as  would  be  injurious  if  retained. 
But  exposed  as  horses  are  to  sudden  atmospheric  changes,  the 
harmony  between  the  abov£  functions  is  disturbed  so  as  to  pro- 
duce essential  changes  in  quality  as  well  as  quantity  of  the  fluid 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  119 

eliminated.  Diminution  in  function,  or  suppressed  cutaneous 
exhalation,  excites  instinctive  movements  in  the  tissues  of  kindred 
functions,  and  thus  the  discharge  from  the  kidneys  may  be  very 
large. 

This  author  has  long  since,  and  continues,  to  discountenance 
any  unnecessary  medication,  believing  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
physician  to  know  when  to  do  nothing  —  "let  well  alone."  In  a 
case  of  this  character,  when  it  has  only  existed  for  a  short  time, 
and  there  be  no  perceptible  alteration  in  the  health  of  the  animal, 
medicine  is  actually  unnecessary. 

Strict  attention,  however,  should  be  paid  to  stable  management ; 
if  the  animal  is  located  in  a  stable  or  barn,  the  temperature  of 
which  is  much  below  that  of  the  body,*  let  him  be  removed  to  a 
warmer  place,  and  clothed  with  a  blanket,  if  necessary  ;  the  more 
fluid  we  draw  from  the  surface,  the  less  will  there  be  left  for  the 
kidneys  to  eliminate;  and  this  cannot  be  accomplished  without 
heat. 

Attention  must  also  be  given  to  the  quality  of  the  food,  and 
water;  the  former  must  be  of  the  best  kind,  and  the  latter  pure 
and  fresh.     Changes  in  the  kind  of  food  will  often  be  of  benefit. 

INFLAMMATION   OF  THE  BLADDER  —  (Cystites.) 

Inflammation  of  the  bladder  is  not  in  all  cases  to  be  considered 
as  a  primary  disease,  but  arises  in  consequence  of  disease  in  the 
adjacent  parts,  or  from  calculi  within  its  cavity.     The  urine  may 

*  "  Every  impression  of  cold  admitted  to  the  surface  below  the  point  of  tem- 
perature that  the  subject  has  been  accustomed  to,  instantly  withdraws  from  tbe 
body  a  just  proportion  of  its  caloric;  and  as  this  is  taken  away,  so  in  proportion 
there  is  an  assault  made  on  the  regularity  of  the  functional  exercise  :  although 
it  may  not  amount  to  disease,  yet  the  system  is  more  exposed  to  other  hurtful 
agents. 

"  The  effect  of  incompatible  degrees  of  cold  is  to  condense  and  contract  the 
dermoid  tissue,  to  embarrass  the  exhalations  on  the  surface.  When  incompati- 
ble degrees  of  cold  are  often  reapplied,  and  followed  suddenly  by  heat,  the 
tissues  acquire  an  increase  of  sensibility,  by  which  they  are  more  likely  to  be 
acted  on  by  a  subsequent  exposure,  and  indeed  to  other  exciting  causes".  Hence 
arises  a  state  of  predisposition,  and  cold  in  this  instance  becomes  merely  a 
remote  cause  of  disease.  But  remote  causes  rarely  produce  active  disease  with- 
out some  exciting  cause,  and  on  a  repetition  of  the  exposure  to  cold,  it  may 
become  the  exciting  cause." —  Gallup. 


120  THK  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 


FEMALE  ORGANS  OF  GENERATION 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  121 

also  become  acrimonious,  from  perverted  function  in  the  skin  and 
lungs,  and  thus  set  up  disease  in  the  bladder. 

The  symptoms  of  this  disorder  somewhat  resemble  those  of 
nephritis  :  the  patient  will  be  seen  to  make  frequent  attempts  to 
void  urine,  at  the  same  time  suffering  from  pain,  and  only  suc- 
ceeding in  passing  a  few  drops  at  a  time.  The  usual  feverish 
symptoms  are  always  present  while  the  parts  are  inflamed. 

Treatment.  —  There  is  very  little  chance  of  removing  this  dis- 
order by  the  fleam,  nor  can  it  be  removed  by  diuretics :  we  must 
endeavor  to  establish  an  equal  circulation  throughout  the  entire 
system,  by  warmth  externally,  and  relaxing  medicines  given 
internally.  The  vapor  bath,  which  has  been  so  successfully  intro- 
duced in  human  practice,  and  to  a  limited  extent  in  veterinary,  is 
an  efficient  relaxant  of  the  tissues,  and  promotes  both  exhalation 
and  absorption.     The  medicines  to  be  given  internally  are,  — 

1.  Nauseants.  A  compound  of  equal  parts  of  lobelia  and 
bloodroot  in  drachm  doses,  given  at  intervals  of  a  few  hours,  is 
well  calculated  to  diminish  the  vibratory  action  of  the  heart  and 
arteries,  and  thus  relaxes  the  tissues  so  as  to  induce  a  free  circu- 
lation of  blood. 

2.  Cathartics.  Should  the  horse  be  plethoric,  or  labor  under 
the  least  symptom  of  constipation,  they  are  indicated,  for  they  not 
only  diminish  the  contents  of  the  digestive  canal,  but  the  whole 
of  the  vascular  tissues. 

3.  Lubricants.  These  are  always  indicated  in  case  of  inflamed 
mucous  surfaces  ;  a  decoction  of  mashmallows  is  probably  the  best 
for  diseases  of  the  urinary  organs.  It  follows,  then,  that  if  the 
function  of  the  skin  be  restored  by  the  above  means,  the  bowels 
kept  loose,  the  mucous  surfaces  lubricated,  and  the  urine  diluted, 
the  patient  may  soon  recover. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUT.  — FEMALE  ORGANS. 

1.  Descending  or  posterior  portion  of  the  vena  cava  and  its  bifurcations. 

2.  Descending  or  posterior  portion  of  the  great  aorta  —  great  artery  —  and 
its  bifurcations. 

3.  Supra  renal  capsules. 

4.  Kidneys. 

11 


122  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


5.  Ureters,  through  which  the  urine  passes  to  the  bladder. 

6.  Bladder  severed  from  its  ureters. 

7.  Ovaries. 

8.  Broad  ligaments. 

9.  Fallopian  tubes. 

10.  Corrma  or  Horns. 

11.  Frimbria;  of  the  fallopian  tubes. 

12.  Body  of  the  uterus. 

13.  Labia  pudendi  reflected  over  to  show  the  vaginal  membrane. 

14.  Emulgent  arteries. 


SUPPRESSION    OF  URINE.  —  {Strangury,  Ischuria,  Dysuria.) 

When  a  horse  attempts  to  urinate,  and  a  few  drops  only  pass 
at  a  time,  the  case  is  termed  strangury  or  dysuria. 

A  total  suppression  of  urine  is  termed  ischuria. 

Strangury  and  retention  are  generally  termed  by  stablemen 
"  stoppage,"  or  "  stoppage  of  water ; "  and  it  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  horses,  while  laboring  under  an  attack  of  colic,  una- 
ble to  urinate ;  in  such  cases,  the  stricture  at  the  neck  of  the 
bladder,  or  at  whatever  part  of  the  urinary  channel  it  may  exist, 
is  the  result  of  sympathetic  action  with  the  muscular  or  nervous 
tissues  of  the  alimentary  organs  ;  so  that,  if  we  relieve  the 
patient  of  colic,  and  subdue  the  inflammatory  symptoms  of  the 
one  class  of  organs,  the  others  are  almost  sure  to  resume  their 
function.  Suppression  of  urine  is  so  common  an  attendant  with 
colic,  that  often  what  amounts  to  a  mere  retention  only  is  consid- 
ered the  disease,  and  the  unfortunate  creature  is  dosed  with  diu- 
retics, which  may  increase  the  urinary  secretion  to  the  risk  of 
life,  but  have  no  power  over  the  paralytic  or  rigid  state  of  the 
bladder. 

Those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  treating  colic  must  have  noticed 
that  the  moment  a  horse  gets  relief,  —  that  is,  when  the  accumu- 
lated gas  evacuates  the  abdominal  channel,  the  fasces  come  away, 
and  the  worst  symptoms  subside,  —  then  the  urine  passes  off 
freely —  a  sure  sign  of  a  quick  recovery,  and  positive  proof  that 
the  urinary  organs  were  not  primarily  affected. 

The  causes  which  give  rise  to  strangury  are  numerous  ;  disease 
of  the  kidneys  or  any  part  of  their  associate  organs  may,  either 
directly  or  indirectly,  produce  it ;  paralysis,  tonic  spasm,  pressure 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  123 

on  the  neck  of  the  bladder  from  hardened  faeces  or  from  an  accu- 
mulation of  gas  within  the  rectum,  urinary  calculi,  and  powerful 
diuretics, — all  tend  to  produce  suppression  and  retention  of 
urine. 

Let  the  reader  understand  that  the  manner  in  which  the  urine 
is  voided  is  modified  by  many  other  diseases  as  well  as  colic. 
In  some  of  them  the  secretion  may  be  so  scanty  as  to  lead  to 
the  supposition  of  strangury  or  retention,  when  in  fact  the  blad- 
der is  not  distended  beyond  its  healthy  capacity.  Simple  reten- 
tion of  urine  within  the  bladder  may  arise  from  some  physical 
obstacle  within  the  urethra  ;  this  must  not,  however,  be  confounded 
with  suppression,  which  implies  that  the  secretion  within  the 
kidneys  is  suspended.  We  have  seen  horses  in  this  state,  and, 
on  examining  the  parts,  have  found  the  orifice  of  the  urethra 
occupied  by  a  hard  substance  termed  by  horsemen  a  "  bean,"  on 
the  removal  of  which  the  urine  has  soon  after  passed  in  a  free 
and  full  stream.  This  "bean"  is  formed  from  the  secretion 
and  filth  that  usually  accumulates  about  a  horse's  penis. 

A  diminution  of  the  urinary  discharge,  approaching  almost  to 
retention,  accompanies  hydrothorax  and  other  dropsical  affections. 

Dr.  Good  considers  retention  of  the  urine  a  common  symptom 
in  all  affections  attended  with  coma,  and  also  in  diseases  of  the 
nervous  system. 

The  author  wishes  to  have  the  reader  bear  in  mind  that 
retention  of  urine,  so  often  confounded  with  suppression,  is  more 
generally  the  effect  rather  than  a  cause  of  disease. 

Any  one,  by  making  a  simple  examination  per  rectum,  can 
easily  ascertain  if  the  case  be  one  of  suppression  or  of  simple 
retention.  Let  the  hand  be  introduced  within  the  rectum  ;  and 
if  the  bladder  be  found  empty,  there  is  evidently  suppression, 
whereas,  if  the  bladder  be  large  and  full,  occupying  considerable 
space  within  the  pelvis,  it  is  a  case  of  retention. 

Treatment.  —  Suppression  of  urine  must  be  treated  according 
to  its  indications ;  the  cause  must  be  sought  for,  and,  if  possible, 
removed.  Assafoetida,  uva  ursi,  and  cream  of  tartar  are  good 
to  increase  the  secretion  when  the  kidneys  permit  of  augmenta- 
tion. But  on  the  whole,  the  safest  plan  will  be  to  consult  a  vet 
erinary  surgeon. 


124  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Retention  of  urine  may  generally  be  relieved  by  introducing 
a  gum  elastic  catheter  through  the  urethra  into  the  bladder,  or 
by  simply  removing  any  obstruction  that  may  exist  within  the 
former. 

Cases  now  and  then  occur  in  which,  from  some  obstruction 
within  the  urethra,  the  catheter  cannot  be  introduced ;  we  have 
never  met  with  such  a  case,  however,  but  have  generally  suc- 
ceeded —  though  for  some  time  baffled  —  through  the  means 
of  patience  and  a  well-oiled  catheter,  in  accomplishing  our 
object. 

In  case  of  failing  to  reach  the  bladder  with  the  flexible  cathe- 
ter, there  are  two  operations  proposed,  one  or  the  other  of  which 
is  now  and  then  performed.  One  is  called  cutting  through  the 
peringeum*  into  the  urethra.  The  operation  is  performed  by 
first  introducing  a  catheter  within  the  urethra,  which  must  be 
pushed  forward  until  it  can  be  felt  in  the  perinceum.  A  whale- 
bone staff,  flattened  and  grooved  at  the  end,  is  preferred  by  sur- 
geons to  the  former.  The  next  step  in  the  operation  is  to  make 
an  incision  through  the  integuments  and  subcellular  tissue  into 
the  urethra ;  the  bladder  can  then  be  reached  and  its  contents 
evacuated  through  a  straight  or  slightly  curved  hollow  tube. 
The  gum  elastic  catheter  used  on  the  human  subject  may  answer 
in  lieu  of  a  better  article. 

The  other  operation  referred  to  is  termed  "  tapping  the  blad- 
der." There  are  two  methods  of  performing  this ;  one  consists 
in  puncturing  the  bladder  through  the  walls  of  the  rectum, 
and  the  other  consists  in  penetrating  the  bladder  through  the 
muscles  of  the  abdomen.  Either  method  is  attended  with  some 
danger,  even  when  practised  by  men  of  great  veterinary  acquire- 
ments. The  author  considers  puncturing  the  bladder  after  this 
fashion  equivalent  to  a  sentence  of  death.  The  former  opera- 
tion, provided  an  operation  be  needed,  is  the  most  safe,  and  can 
be  performed  by  any  one  possessing  a  knowledge  of  surgical 
anatomy.  If  the  case  is  evidently  one  that  can  be  medicinally 
relieved,  give  the  following  :  — . 


*  Perinceum,  the  space  just  below  the  anus,  denned  in  the  mare  as  the  space 
between  the  anus  and  vagina. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  125 


Balsam  copaiba, £  ounce, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,     ....    2  drachms, 
Flaxseed  tea, 1  pint. 


Mares  are  not  subject  to  this  difficulty. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  DIGESTIVE  CAVITY  AND  ITS  SURFACES. 

BOTS. 

The  following  cut  is  a  representation  of  a  cluster  of  bots  found 
in  the  stomach  of  a  horse  after  death.  "We  were  informed  by  the 
owner  that  the  horse  had  for  several  months  been  subject  to 
staggers,  (vertigo.)  During  this  period,  his  appetite  failed,  and 
the  animal  gradually  lost  flesh,  and  was  at  last  unable  to  perform 
the  least  work  without  profuse  perspiration.  Finally,  the  horse 
lost  so  much  flesh  that  he  appeared  like  a  walking  skeleton,  and 
the  owner  ordered  him  to  be  killed.  Being  in  the  vicinity  at  the 
time  of  death,  we  made  a  post  mortem  examination,  and  found 
the  bots  as  represented.  The  internal  surface  of  the  stomach 
and  alimentary  canal  was  blanched,  indicating  indigestion.  The 
lungs,  spleen,  liver,  and  kidneys  were  in  a  comparatively  normal 
state.  The  external  appearances  were  decidedly  those  of  gen- 
eral emaciation,  and,  in  our  humble  opinion,  the  horse,  by  a 
judicious  system  of  medication,  might  have  been  saved.  "  The 
horse  had  been  doctored  for  bots,"  without  any  regard  to  the 
general  health,  which  should  have  been  improved  by  the  use  of 
tonics,  stimulants,  and  alteratives,  after  which  vermifuges  might 
have  been  ventured  on.  If  the  bots,  as  we  suspect,  presented  in 
part  only  a  mechanical  obstruction  to  the  passage  of  food  into  the 
stomach,  his  strength  might  have  been  preserved  by  a  daily 
allowance  of  flour  gruel  and  by  nutritious  injections.  The  bots, 
generally  speaking,  are  not  so  troublesome  to  horses  as  people 
seem  to  suppose ;  for  it  is  very  rare,  in  making  post  mortem  ex- 
aminations, that  we  do  not  find  more  or  less  in  the  stomach.  We 
have  heard  some  wonderful  stories  related  of  the  bots  burrowing 
11  * 


126 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR. 


Fig.  I. 


6  p   pm 

\   3.    mm 

mm 


Fig.  6. 

Fig.  *,  letter  a.    The  eggs  of  the  gadfly  adhering  to  the  hair  of  the  horse. 

Fig.  2,  letter  6.     The  eggs  as  seen  through  a  magnifying  glass. 

Fig.  3.     A  bot  in  the  progressive  stage  of  development. 

Fig.  4.     A  full-grown  bot,  detached. 

Fig.  5.    The  female  gadfly. 

Fig.  6.  Cut  of  the  horse's  stomach. 
"  "  letter  a.  The  gullet,  or  oesophagus,  extending  to  the  stomach;  — 
b,  b,  the  margin  which  separates  the  cuticular  from  the  villous  coats  of  the 
stomach  :  — c,  the  entrance  of  the  gullet  into  the  stomach  ;  — d,  d,  the  cuticu- 
lar portion  of  the  stomach ;  —  e,  the  communication  between  the  stomach  and 
first  intestines  ;  — f,  f,  f,  the  villous  or  mucous  portion  of  the  stomach,  in 
which  the  food  is  principally  digested. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  127 

through  the  walls  of  the  stomach.  This  we  deny  in  toto,  at  least 
while  the  horse  is  alive.  The  little  creature  is  too  comfortably 
located  to  attempt  its  exit  into  a  cavity  where  its  destruction 
would  be  inevitable.  If  it  be  about  to  vacate  its  stronghold, 
instinct  teaches  it  the  most  safe  and  expeditious  route,  which  is 
the  alimentary  canal.  We  do  not  deny  that  bots  are  found  in  the 
abdominal  cavity,  for  the  moment  the  horse  dies  all  the  various 
organs  are  subject  to  the  laws  of  decomposition.  Chemical  action, 
which,  during  life,  was  regulated  by  the  vital  forces,  now  assumes 
the  supremacy.  Those  powerful  solvents  termed  the  gastric 
fluids,  which  had  previously  dissolved  nothing  but  food,  now  act 
on  the  stomach  itself,  and  hasten  its  decomposition ;  and  what  had 
previously  been  good  food  for  bots  is  now  their  bane,  and  they 
must  themselves  in  turn  be  destroyed  unless  they  escape  from  it. 
The  peristaltic  motion  of  the  alimentary  canal,  which,  during  the 
existence  of  the  horse,  was  so  favorable  to  their  exit  by  that 
channel,  has  ceased.  They  are  too  well  acquainted  with  the  in- 
tricate, labyrinthian  outlet,  (their  usual  route,)  to  attempt  its 
passage.     No.     The  same  energies  of  one  eternal  mind, 

"  Pervading  and  instructing  all  that  live," 

suggests  the  only  means  of  escape.  The  stomach  now  offering 
but  little  opposition  to  them,  being  partly  decomposed,  they  burst 
their  prison-house,  and  hence  are  found  in  the  abdominal  cavity. 
And  here  they  may  be  said  to  have  jumped  "from  the  frying 
pan  into  the  fire."  We  are  frequently  called  upon  to  visit  sick 
horses,  said  to  have  the  "  bots,"  when  there  is  no  more  connection 
between  them  and  the  disease  than  there  is  between  the  horse  and 
the  anvil  on  which  his  shoes  are  forged.  It  is  all  very  well  for 
us  to  say  "  a  horse  has  the  bots,"  and  prescribe  some  medicine 
for  their  expulsion;  but  there  is  no  practical  advantage  gained; 
neither  is  the  horse  benefited  by  such  decision  or  treatment.  For 
most  of  the  remedies  used  as  vermifuges  would  kill  the  horse, 
while  the  former  would  not  be  injured  in  the  slightest  degree. 
Mr.  Bracey  Clark  says,  "  The  slowness  of  the  growth  of  bots, 
and  the  purity  of  their  food,  which  is  probably  the  chyle,  must 
occasion  what  they  receive  in  a  given  time  to  be  proportionably 
small ;  from  which,  perhaps,  arises  the  extreme  difficulty  of  de- 


128  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

stroying  them  by  any  medicine  or  poison  thrown  into  the  stomach. 
After  opium  had  been  administered  to  a  horse  laboring  under 
locked  jaw  for  a  week,  in  doses  of  one  ounce  every  day,  bots 
were  found  in  the  stomach  perfectly  alive.  Tobacco  has  been 
employed  in  much  larger  quantities  in  the  same  complaint,  and 
has  also  been  continued  without  destroying  them."  Mr.  White, 
V.  S.,  says,  "  While  making  experiments  on  glanders,  I  found 
living  bots  in  the  stomach  of  a  horse,  though  he  had  been  taking, 
for  many  days,  arsenic  and  corrosive  sublimate."  *  Mr.  Blaine 
says,  "  that  he  has  kept  them  alive  for  some  days  in  olive  oil,  and 
in  oil  of  turpentine,  and  that  even  the  nitrous  and  sulphuric  acids 
do  not  immediately  destroy  them."  The  history  and  habits  of 
the  bot  are  thus  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Clark :  "  Bots  are  not,  prop- 
erly speaking,  worms,  but  the  larvae  of  the  gadfly,  which  deposits 
its  eggs  on  the  horse's  coat  in  such  a  manner  as  that  they  shall 
be  received  into  his  stomach,  and  then  become  bots.  When  the 
female  fly  has  become  impregnated,  and  the  eggs  are  sufficiently 
matured,  she  seeks  among  the  horses  a  subject  for  her  purpose, 
and  approaching  it  on  the  wing,  she  holds  her  body  nearly  up- 
right in  the  air,  and  her  tail,  which  is  lengthened  for  the  purpose, 
carried  inwards  and  upwards.  In  this  way  she  approaches  the 
part  where  she  designs  to  deposit  the  eggs,  and  suspending  her- 
self for  a  few  seconds  before  it,  suddenly  darts  upon  it,  and  leaves 
the  egg  adhering  to  the  hair  by  means  of  a  glutinous  liquor  se- 
creted with  it.  She  then  leaves  the  horse  at  a  small  distance, 
and  prepares  the  second  egg ;  and  poising  herself  before  the  part, 
deposits  it  in  the  same  way ;  the  liquor  dries,  and  the  egg  becomes 
firmly  glued  to  the  hair.  This  is  repeated  by  various  flies,  till 
four  or  five  hundred  eggs  are  sometimes  deposited  on  one  horse. 
They  are  usually  deposited  on  the  legs,  side,  and  back  of  the 
shoulder  —  those  parts  most  exposed  to  be  licked  by  the  animal: 
in  licking,  the  eggs  adhere  to  the  tongue,  and  are  carried  into  the 

*  Very  nice  articles  to  experiment  with,  truly !  And  yet  we  are  sorry  to  say 
that  experiments  —  for  they  cannot  be  called  any  thing  else  —  are  daily  made 
in  this  city  with  agents  whose  therapeutic  powers  are  so  diversified  that  the 
wisest  of  the  faculty  have  never  ventured  to  fix  limits  to  their  action.  They 
are  like  the  torch  in  the  hands  of  an  incendiary.  The  healthy  parts  must  suffer 
equally  with  the  diseased. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  129 

horse's  stomach  in  the  act  of  s\v allowing.  The  bots  attach  them- 
selves to  the  horse's  stomach,  and  are  sometimes,  though  less 
frequently,  found  in  the  first  intestine.  The  number  varies  con- 
siderably ;  sometimes  there  are  not  half  a  dozen,  at  others  they 
exceed  a  hundred.  They  are  fixed  by  the  small  end  to  the  inner 
coat  of  the  stomach,  to  which  they  attach  themselves  by  means 
of  two  hooks." 

Cure.  —  It  has  been  remarked  that  no  effectual  remedy  has 
ever  been  discovered  for  the  cure  of  bots.  Yet  we  venture  to 
say  that,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  if  the  animal  be  permitted  to 
run  a  short  time  at  grass,  when  the  bot  has  attained  its  full 
growth,  and  is  capable  of  exercising  an  independent  life,  it  will 
detach  itself  from  the  stomach  and  pass  off  with  the  excre- 
ment. "We  have  frequently  brought  away  large  quantities  of 
bots  during  the  administration  of  the  following  articles,  and  we 
do  not  hesitate  to  recommend  them  as  safe  and  efficient.  As  a 
vermifuge,  they  are  unrivalled ;  at  the  same  time  they  restore 
the  tone  of  the  digestive  organs. 

Compound  for  the  Expulsion  of  Bots. 

Powdered  male  fern, 2  ounces, 

"  poplar  bark, 4       " 

White  mustard  seed, 2      " 

Common  salt, 6       " 

Sulphur, 3       " 

Powdered  aloes, 1  ounce. 

Mix ;  divide  into  eighteen  powders,  and  give  one,  night  and 
morning,  in  the  food. 

The  animal  should  have  a  daily  allowance  of  green  food  if  the 
season  permits. 

The  author  of  Hippopathology  writes,  "It  has  been  conjec- 
tured that  bots  might  prove  serviceable  to  the  animal  by  aiding 
the  cuticular  coat  in  the  trituration  of  the  food.  That  Nature 
should  have  created  an  animal,  and  designed  it  as  an  inhabitant 
of  the  stomach  of  another  animal,  without  some  good,  but,  I  sus- 
pect, unknown  end,  I  think,  in  unison  with  others,  highly  im- 
probable—  irreconcilable  with  her  other  beautiful  and  more 
readily  explained  operations  ;  I  am,  however,  for  my  own  part, 
unable  to  draw  up  the  curtain  which  is  here  interposed  between 
fact  and  design. 


130  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"  Supposing  that  bots  in  some  way  or  other  do  good  rather 
than  hurt,  surely  we  cannot  be  solicitous  about  removing  them ; 
for  though  we  are  unable  to  demonstrate  their  beneficial  influ- 
ence, we  may,  from  all  the  circumstances  arrived  at,  at  least  assert 
that  they  in  general  are  not  injurious.  Howbeit,  Ave  cannot  per- 
suade the  world  so  ;  and,  therefore,  we  must  be  prepared  to  meet 
the  complaints  of  persons  who  come  to  us,  at  certain  seasons, 
and  say  that  their  horses  have  worms,  which  must  be  got  rid 
of — with  a  remedy  for  that  purpose.  Should  any  other  malady 
exist  at  the  time,  no  matter  what,  its  origin  will  commonly  be 
traced  to  the  presence  of  these  mischievous  vermin'' 

As  far  as  our  experience  goes,  we  have  no  faith  in  medicine  to 
expel  bots,  yet  we  have  seen  them  voided  with  the  excrement 
two  or  three  times  while  the  patients  were  under  the  influence  of 
a  dose  of  physic;  the  bots,  however,  were  full  grown.  Dr. 
Clark  thus  reasons  on  the  subject :  "  We  can,  it  is  true,  force  the 
medicine  down  a  horse's  throat,  but  we  cannot  afterwards  get  it 
into  the  throat  of  the  worm,  who  is  placed  in  his  own  element, 
and  can  refuse  the  food  that  does  not  suit  him." 

The  nit  or  egg  can  easily  be  got  rid  of  by  greasing  the  horse's 
hair,  and  then  rubbing  it  with  a  coarse  cloth,  or  by  applying 


ON   THE  HORSE'S   STOMACH. 

Comparing  the  size  of  the  stomach  with  that  of  the  horse,  we 
find  it  less  capacious  than  in  some  other  herbivorous  animals. 
The  ox,  for  example,  has  a  most  complex  form  of  stomach,  con- 
taining four  distinct  .cavities,  through  all  of  which  the  food  has 
to  pass  ere  it  can  be  properly  digested.  "In  sheep,  also,  we  find 
a  similarly  complex  form  of  stomach ;  this  admits  the  food  as  fast 
as  the  animal  can  crop  it,  from  whence  it  is  returned  to  the  mouth 
to  be  masticated  at  leisure. 

The  capacity  of  a  horse's  stomach  varies  in  proportion  to  the 
size  of  the  animal ;  thus  in  a  small  horse  it  is  about  eight  quarts, 
and  in  one  of  large  proportions  it  sometimes  exceeds  thirty.  It 
is  occasionally  dilated  to  an  extraordinary  size.  A  case  came 
under  our  observation,  a  short  time  ago,  of  dilated  stomach,  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  131 

subject  of  which  died  from  inflammation  of  the  stomach  and 
bowels.  The  owner  labored  under  the  impression  that  his  horse 
had  been  poisoned,  and,  in  order  to  satisfy  his  curiosity,  employed 
us  to  make  a  post  mortem  examination.  The  mystery  was  soon 
solved.  On  exposing  the  stomach,  it  appeared  about  as  large  as 
two  ordinary  ones  ;  and  after  cutting  into  it,  out  tumbled  about 
half  a  bushel  of  stuff  resembling  brown  sawdust,  but  which 
turned  out  to  be  brown  bread  !  The  animal  had  been  regularly 
fed  for  many  months  on  brown  bread,  mouldy  or  not,  just  as  it 
happened  ;  he  was  the  constant  subject  of  colic,  in  consequence 
of  which  the  stomach  had  probably  become  gradually  dilated  by 
distention  from  gas,  until  acute  disease  terminated  his  existence. 

Mr.  Gamee,  in  his  Descriptive  Anatomy  of  the  Abdominal 
Viscera  of  the  Horse,  quotes  from  a  paper  written  by  M.  Colin. 
He  found  the  stomach  of  a  very  small  horse  to  contain  only  nine 
quarts,  while  in  one  of  colossal  dimensions  the  stomach  held 
thirty-three  quarts. 

The  stomach,  therefore,  not  only  varies  in  size  with  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  horse,  but  also  as  to  whether  it  be  full  or  empty, 
adapting  itself  generally  to  the  amount  of  food  taken. 

The  horse's  stomach  is  composed  of  four  coats  ;  the  first  or 
external  one  is  a  part  of  the  membrane  which  covers  the  whole 
of  the  abdominal  contents,  called  peritoneum.  This  is  termed 
the  serous  coat  of  the  stomach.  The  second  coat  is  called  the 
muscular ;  it  is  composed  of  three  layers  —  inner,  outer,  and 
middle.  These  run  in  various  directions,  give  strength,  and 
admit  of  a  complicated  muscular  motion  which  greatly  facilitates 
digestion. 

The  outer  layer  of  muscular  fibres  is  a  continuation  of  the 
longitudinal  ones  of  the  oesophagus. 

The  fibres  of  the  middle  layer  embrace  the  stomach  in  circles ; 
they  admit  of  considerable  contraction  and  relaxation,  and  are 
very  powerful  as  they  approach  the  lower  orifice  of  that  organ. 

The  third  or  inner  layer  of  fibres  runs  in  an  oblique  direction. 
The  third  coat  of  the  stomach  corresponds  to  the  cellular  tissue 
under  the  skin  of  man  ;  it  serves  to  connect  the  parts  together, 
and  acts  as  a  medium  for  the  transmission  of  blood  vessels  ;  and 
being  soft  and  cushion-like,  protects  them  from  injury  or  pressure. 


132  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  fourth  or  internal  coat  of  the  stomach  corresponds  to  the 
mucous  membrane  of  other  organs  ;  its  upper  or  cardiac  portion 
is  protected  by  a  thick  cuticular  layer,  supposed  to  be  insensible, 
like  that  found  within  the  gizzard  of  the  feathered  tribe.  This 
membrane  is  a  prolongation  of  the  external  covering  of  the  body 
into  its  interior ;  its  -walls  pour  out  or  secrete  a  fluid  which  acts 
upon  the  food  in  such  a  manner  as  to  dissolve  it ;  and  through 
its  walls  is  also  absorbed  a  portion  of  the  food  which  is  destined 
for  the  support  of  the  system. 

This  cuticular  covering  of  the  stomach,  to  which  we  find  the 
bots  attached,  terminates  about  midway.  The  other  half,  termed 
the  villous,  from  its  glistening  aspect,  extends  to  the  pyloric  ori- 
fice, where  it  gathers  into  a  fold,  forming  a  kind  of  valve.  This 
valve  opens  and  shuts  by  the  muscular  relaxations  and  contrac- 
tions of  the  stomach  and  diaphragm,  and  permits  the  food,  when 
reduced  to  a  fluid  form,  to  pass  into  the  first  intestine. 

The  villous  coat  of  the  stomach,  being  thickly  studded  with 
blood  vessels  and  nerves,  is  highly  susceptible  of  irritation  ;  it  is 
distinguished  from  the  cuticular  portion  by  its  red,  glistening 
appearance,  and  by  being  coated  with  a  thick  mucus. 

It  is  a  fact  of  great  practical  importance  to  the  farmer  to  know 
that  the  gastric  fluid,  secreted  by  the  glands  and  follicles  of  the 
villous  coat  of  the  stomach,  is  the  real  solvent  of  the  food,  and 
that  a  certain  quantity  can  only  act  on  a  limited  amount  of  food ; 
therefore  if  a  horse,  from  a  depraved  appetite,  takes  more  food 
into  his  stomach  than  the  gastric  fluid  can  dissolve,  it  remains 
there  undigested,  a  source  of  irritation  and  mischief.  The 
amount  of  gastric  juice  secreted  at  any  one  time  is  not  in  pro- 
portion to  the  amount  of  food  in  the  stomach,  but  to  the  wants 
of  the  system ;  so  that  if  a  horse  be  fed  without  any  regard  to 
quantity,  occupying  twenty  out  of  the  twenty-four  hours  in  cram- 
ming his  digestive  organs,  and  the  evil  goes  on  increasing  with 
every  addition  to  their  cavities,  disease  sooner  or  later  must  man- 
ifest itself,  or  else  the  animal  becomes  a  depraved  feeder,  and 
living,  yet  half  dead,  drags  out  a  miserable  existence.  These 
depraved  feeders  —  often  made  so  by  want  of  foresight  on  the 
part  of  their  owners  —  are  to  be  found  under  all  circumstances 
and  among  every  variety  of  breed  ;  which  fact  argues  a  general 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  133 

want  of  knowledge  on  the  part  of  horsemen  regarding  the  phys- 
iological action  of  the  stomach.  If  a  man  ever  becomes  intem- 
perate, it  is  generally  from  habit,  and  the  same  may  be  said  of 
the  horse.  Those  who  have  experienced  the  cravings  of  a 
depraved  appetite  can  sympathize  with  the  four-footed  creature, 
who,  after  devouring  his  provender,  sets  to  work  on  the  bedding, 
and  finishes  his  meal  from  the  boards  which  compose  the  stall 
and  crib.  A  very  extraordinary  case  of  a  depraved  feeder  is 
recorded  by  a  French  veterinary  surgeon  :  "  Neither  manger, 
nor  rack,  nor  the  fragments  of  the  bars  escaped  him  ;  he  gnawed 
his  halter,  and  licked  the  walls,  and  ate  up  all  the  earth  he  could 
get  at.  He  was  a  confirmed  crib-biter  and  roarer.  For  many 
years  he  had  been  subject  to  violent  colics,  which  became  latterly 
more  and  more  frequent.  In  one  of  these  paroxysms,  at  last,  he 
died.  There  were  found  in  his  stomach,  after  death,  four  pounds 
and  a  half  of  earth  and  sand.  He  had,  as  was  learned  after- 
wards, escaped  from  his  groom  on  the  morning  of  the  day  he 
died,  and  galloped  to  the  riding  school,  where  he  was  found 
eating  the  earth  and  sand  composing  the  floor.  A  brass  wire, 
about  the  size  of  a  knitting  needle,  and  eight  or  nine  inches  long, 
was  found  sticking  in  the  intestines,  through  whose  walls  it  had 
penetrated,  and  had  run  into  the  lumbar  muscles." 

Foreign  bodies  are  sometimes  found  in  the  stomachs  of  horses 
after  death,  which  do  not  seem  to  occasion  much  inconvenience 
during  life  ;  thus  many  hundred  bots  have  been  found  within 
that  cavity  without  the  subject  being  at  all  incommoded  by  them. 
The  stomach  terminates  in  that  part  known  as  its  pyloric  outlet, 
or  inferior  portion,  from  whence  commences  the  duodenum, 
known  as  the  second  stomach.  See  cut  of  the  stomach  and 
intestines. 

INFLAMMATION    OF   THE  BOWELS.  —  {Enteritis.) 

Cause.  —  This  disease  arises  under  circumstances  so  wholly 
dissimilar,  that  different  and  even  opposite  causes  are  assigned 
to  the  same  affection  ;  that  is  to  say,  different  causes  appear  to 
produce  the  same  results.  Thus  inflammation  of  the  bowels  may 
supervene  immediately  after  exposure  in  a  rain  storm,  or  from 
12 


134  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

the  application  of  cold  water  to  the  surface ;  also  from  the  pres- 
ence of  some  irritating  substance  within  the  alimentary  canal. 
Sudden  change  of  diet,  from  dry  to  green  feed,  has  often,  appar- 
ently, produced  this  malady.  In  each  case  the  apparent  cause  is 
somewhat  different,  and  the  disease  may  have  had  some  common 
antecedent ;  as,  for  example,  a  congestion  of  the  blood  vessels  of 
the  alimentary  canal.  Therefore  it  is  very  difficult  to  determine, 
in  every  case  of  disease,  what  are  the  direct  causes ;  yet  we  may 
safely  conclude  that  in  many  such  there  previously  existed  in  the 
system  a  peculiar  predisposition,  or,  in  other  words,  loss  of 
vitality,  ere  the  disease  then  present  could  have  manifested  itself. 

Mr.  Percivall  thus  alludes  to  the  causes :  "  The  causes  of 
enteritis  are  both  numerous  and  various.  We  have  seen  that  colic 
may  give  rise  to  it.  Constipation  may  be  viewed  in  the  light 
both  of  cause  and  effect  in  its  relation  to  it.  Collected  hardened 
fasces  must  naturally  not  only  of  themselves  be  irritative,  but  ob- 
structive and  subversive  of  the  functions  of  the  bowels,  and  in 
either  one  or  the  other  way  may  lay  the  foundation  for  an  attack 
of  inflammation.  Certain  kinds  of  indigestible  food,  calculous 
bodies,  irritating  matter  of  any  sort,  within  the  bowels,  may 
cause  an  inflammation  of  them.  Obstruction  of  any  of  their 
passages  —  whether  it  be  from  the  lodgment  and  immovableness 
of  the  matters  they  contain,  or  from  entanglement  of  the  intes- 
tines, or  intus-susception  —  must  in  the  end  occasion  inflammation. 
Over-fatigue,  and  consequent  excessive  irritation  in  the  bowels, 
will  bring  it  on.     *     *     * 

"  Cold,  from  exposure,  and  skin  wetted  while  hot,  and  so  forth, 
is  commonly  entered  high  up  on  the  list  of  the  causes  of  enteritis, 
and,  perhaps,  with  propriety.  I  must  confess  I  have  not  met 
with  so  many  cases  from  this  as  from  other  causes." 

Symptoms.  —  There  is  some  analogy  between  the  symptoms  of 
this  disease  and  colic ;  there  is,  however,  one  marked  feature  of 
the  case  which  enables  us  to  diagnose  the  disease  with  some  degree 
of  certainty,  for  when  inflammation  has  fairly  set  in,  there  is  little, 
if  any,  remission  of  pain ;  whereas,  in  colic,  the  pains  are  of  a  spas- 
modic character,  so  that  the  animal  at  times  is  quite  easy.  The 
pulse,  in  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  is  full,  firm,  and  quick,  in- 
creasing in  beat  and  volume  as  the  disease  increases  in  intensity. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  135 

The  patient  evinces  pain  when  even  the  slightest,  pressure  is  made 
on  the  walls  of  the  abdomen ;  the  belly  is  quite  tense,  and  drawn 
up  towards  the  hips.  On  moving  the  horse,  he  groans,  indicative 
of  pain,  and  looks  anxiously  towards  the  flanks.  When  lying 
down,  he  stretches  himself  out  at  full  length,  throws  his  head  back, 
and  paws  with  the  fore  feet ;  sometimes  he  sweats  profusely  at 
the  flanks  and  around  the  neck ;  champs  and  grinds  the  teeth 
together;  the  nostrils  are  dilated,  and  respirations  hurried;  at 
times  the  urine  trickles  away  from  the  urethra  involuntarily,  and 
the  faeces  are  hard,  and  often  covered  with  slime  ;  the  eyes  appear 
bright,  glassy,  and  the  pupils  are  dilated.  In  the  last  stages  of 
this  painful  malady,  a  cold  sweat  stands  on  the  body ;  occasional 
tremors  set  in  ;  the  lips  hang  pendulous  ;  the  limbs,  ears,  and  lips 
feel  death-like  ;  and  death  soon  puts  an  end  to  the  scene. 

Treatment.  —  In  relation  to  the  treatment  of  this  disease,  we 
remark,  that  most  practitioners  recommend,  more  or  less,  the  ab- 
straction of  blood.  Dr.  White  says,  "  Seven  or  eight  quarts  of 
blood  may  be  taken  with  safety,  and  if  no  relief  is  given  in  the 
course  of  a  few  hours,  five  quarts  more  may  be  drawn  away." 
Most  writers,  in  fact,  place  the  greatest  reliance  on  the  fleam  for 
subduing  enteritis.  "  The  first  and  grand  thing  to  be  done  is,  to 
let  blood  from  the  jugular  vein  to  the  utmost  extent  the  patient 
will  bear ;  the  blood  can  should  not  be  taken  from  the  neck  until 
evident  prostration  demands  it.  Should  this  come  on  prematurely, 
however,  —  should  the  horse  stagger  and  appear  faint  from  loss 
of  blood,  although  but  a  few  pints  have  flowed,  —  pin  up  the  vein, 
and  administer  to  him  his  drench  and  an  injection ;  and  then, 
should  his  strength  seem  revived,  have  recourse  once  more  to  the 
fleam  ;  for  blood  he  must  lose,  and  in  large  quantities  ;  upon  that, 
mainly,  depends  his  recovery."  —  Hippopathology,  vol.  ii.  p.  251. 

Let  the  reader  omit  the  bloodletting,  and  have  recourse,  if  the 
nature  of  the  case  requires  it,  to  a  drench  and  injection,  together 
with  such  other  restorative  means  as  we  shall  recommend,  and 
there  will  be  no  need  of  abstracting  blood.  As  a  single  illustration 
of  the  truth  of  this  proposition,  we  merely  refer  to  the  fact,  that, 
during  nine  years'  practice  in  the  city  of  Boston,  the  author  of  this 
work  has  never  in  a  single  case  of  this,  or  any  other  form  of  dis- 
fw?e,  had  recourse  to  the  practice  of  bloodletting.     And  the  reader 


136  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

can  infer  from  the  fact  that  we  get  a  comfortable  living,  that  our 
practice  is,  to  say  the  least,  somewhat  successful  —  for  were  it 
otherwise,  Ave  should  not  enjoy  the  confidence  and  patronage  of 
so  many  kind  friends  who  have  stood  by  us  in  our  efforts  to  reform 
the  abuses  that  have  crept  into  the  practice  of  veterinary  medicine. 

Practitioners  seem  sometimes  to  forget  what  Dr.  Dixon  is  so 
anxious  to  impress  on  their  memories,  viz. :  "  Nature  is  ever  busy, 
by  the  silent  operation  of  her  own  forces,  in  curing  disease.  Her 
medicines  are  air,  warmth,  food,  water,  and  sleep.  Their  use  is 
directed  by  instinct ;  and  that  man  is  most  worthy  the  name  of 
physician  who  most  reveres  its  unerring  laws."  Now,  it  is  a 
well-known  fact  that  the  drawing  of  blood  from  a  vein,  though  it 
lessens  the  volume  of  that  fluid,  does  not  mend. the  matter ;  "  for 
it  does  not  act  directly  on  the  diseased  part ;  the  action  is  only 
indirect;"  therefore  it  is  imperfect,  and  positively  injurious  — 
injurious,  because  "blood  is  the  fuel  that  keeps  the  lamp  of  life 
burning:  if  the  fuel  be  withdrawn,  the  vital  spark  is  extin- 
guished." 

The  fact  of  bloodletting  having  been  practised  from  time  im- 
memorial, for  the  cure  of  this  or  any  other  disease,  is  certainly 
not  a  clear  proof  of  its  utility,  nor  is  it  sufficient  recommendation 
that  it  may  be  practised  with  safety ;  for  "  no  man,  however  wise, 
can  tell  how  much  blood  ought  to  be  taken  in  a  given  case." 

The  indication  of  cure  in  inflammation  of  the  bowels  is,  to 
equalize  the  circulation,  and  remove  irritation  and  obstructions  to 
vital  action.  This  we  accomplish  by  the  aid  of  natural  and  medi- 
cinal antispasmodics,  such  as  we  shall  recommend.  They  are 
simple,  but  efficient.  We  do  not  depend  on  their  strength  or 
power  to  produce  given  results,  such  as  follow  the  exhibition  of 
aloes,  antimony,  &c,  (where  wre  judge  of  the  value  of  such  agent 
simply  by  its  effects,  without  reference  to  the  injury  done  to  deli- 
cate membranes.)  The  great  secret  is,  to  select  such  agents  as 
shall  produce  a  change,  or,  in  other  words,  act  in  concert  with  the 
uncompromising  laws  of  nature.  Unfortunately,  the  medical 
world,  as  well  as  horsemen  and  farmers,  have  been  accustomed 
to  judge  of  the  power  of  a  remedy  by  its  effects,  and  not  in  pro- 
portion to  its  ultimate  good.  Thus,  if  a  pound  of  salts  be  given 
to  a  horse  or  cow,  and  they  produce  liquid  stools,  —  operate  well, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  137 

■ — they  are  styled  a  good  medicine,  although,  they  shall  leave  the 
mucous  surfaces  of  the  alimentary  canal  in  a  weak  state,  and 
otherwise  impair  the  digestive  function  ;  yet  this  is  a  secondary 
consideration.  For  if  the  symptoms  of  the  present  malady,  for 
which  the  salts  are  given,  shall  disappear,  nothing  is  thought  of 
the  after  consequences.  The  animal  may  be  constipated  for 
several  succeeding  days,  and  finally  refuse  its  food,  and  ultimately 
die  ;  but  who  suspects  that  the  salts  were  the  cause  of  such  result  ? 
If  ever  symptoms  are  altered  by  medicinal  agents,  they  should  be 
for  the  better. 

It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  bloodletting  is  resorted  to  in  view 
of  a  prostrating  or  sedative  effect,  which  can  be  more  sanatively 
brought  about  under  the  more  rational  use  of  laxative  medicines. 
Purgatives,  however,  cannot  always  be  given  with  safety  in  inflam- 
mation of  the  bowels,  because  they  might  tend  to  augment  the 
previous  irritability  of  the  alimentary  canal.  A  dose  of  cathartic 
medicine  may,  however,  be  mixed  with  lubricants,  —  for  example, 
slippery-elm,  mucilage  of  gum  arabic,  or  olive  oil,  —  so  as  to  defend 
the  sensitive  parts,  and  at  the  same  time  not  deprive  the  medicine 
of  its  cathartic  properties. 

After  having  ascertained  the  case  to  be  one  of  enteritis,  we 
administer  the  following:  — 


Linseed  oil, 8  ounces, 

Lime  water, 2  ounces. 


Another : 


Epsom  salts, 8  ounces, 

Thin  gruel, 1  quart. 


Another :  — 


Another : 


Pulverized  aloes, 4  drachms. 

Mucilage  of  slippery  elm,     ...     1  pint. 


Common  salt, 6  ounces, 

Warm  water, 1  pint. 


Frequent  injections  are  to  be  given  until  the  bowels  respond ; 
and  if  after  a  reasonable  time  they  should  not  do  so,  one  of  the 
above  prescriptions,  in  about  half  the  proportion,  may  be  ventured 
on ;  yet  it  is  best  not  to  be  too  hasty,  for  super-purgation  induced 
by  active  cathartics  would  be  equivalent  to  a  sentence  of  death. 
12* 


138  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

A  handful  of  common  salt  to  three  quarts  of  tepid  water  forms  a 
very  good  injection. 
,        Whether  the  medicine  be  repeated  or  not,  there  is  no  safety  nor 
J^**Sase  for  the  patient  until  the  irritating  fa2ces  have  passed  off. 
J     With  a  view  then  of  diffusing  the  medicine,  and  diluting  the  hard- 
ened mass  within,  diluting  drinks  should  be  allowed  ;  if  the  patient 
has  no  inclination  to  drink,  some  warm  water  must  be  poured^ 
down  ;  at  any  rate,  it  will  do  no  harm,  for  warm  water  is  nauseat- 
ing, and  of  course  relaxing,  therefore  is  a  valuable  antispasmodic. 

Some  practitioners  resort  to  counter  irritants,  as  mustard  em- 
brocations, tincture  of  cantharides,  &c.  The  former  is  prepared 
by  mixing  it  to  a  proper  consistency  with  hot  vinegar  ;  the  latter, 
by  steeping  powdered  cantharides  in  spirits  of  turpentine.  Still 
we  think  that  warmth  and  moisture,  in  the  form  of  warm  water 
and  flannel  bandages  applied  to  the  abdomen,  and  renewed  often, 
will  fulfil  every  necessary  indication. 

We  believe  that  counter  irritation,  in  the  form  of  external 
applications,  does  more  good  when  applied  to  parts  remote  than 
when  made  in  the  vicinity  of  the  morbid  phenomena,  as  in  the 
malady  we  are  now  treating  of. 

Hence  warm  water  must  be  faithfully  applied ;  yet  in  order  to 
derive  any  benefit  from  it,  the  process  of  evaporation  must  be 
somewhat  checked,  by  winding  dry  sheets  over  the  wet  flannels : 
this  insures,  comparatively  speaking,  a  more  equal  temperature 
of  the  parts,  and  tends  to  relax  the  capillary  vessels. 

At  times,  especially  when  the  patient  is  in  great  pain,  fomen- 
tations of  hops  will  be  found  of  great  benefit,  for  they  are  consid- 
ered anodyne  —  soothing;  and  an  occasional  drench  of  hop  tea 
may  be  given,  instead  of  opium,  which  some  practitioners  recom- 
mend.    Hop  tea  may  be  thus  made :  — 

Hops, 2  ounces, 

Boiiing  water, 1  quart. 

Pour  the  boiling  water  upon  the  hops:  when  cool,  strain  and 
sweeten  with  honey. 

The  diet  should  consist,  during  the  inflammatory  stage,  of  thin 
6lippery-elm  gruel.  After  the  acute  symptoms  have  subsided, 
hay  tea,  thickened  with  oatmeal,  may  be  allowed.     To  relievo 


t 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  J  oO 

pain  and  tranquillize  the  nervous  system,  give  a  dose,  as  occasion 
may  require,  of  tincture  of  Indian  hemp  (canabis  sativus  indicus), 
one  fluid  drachm  to  a  pint  of  warm  water,  two  or  three  times  a 
day.  Diluted  tincture  of  arnica,  one  ounce  of  tincture  to  a  pint 
of  water,  has  a  good  effect  to  lessen  the  pulse,  and  moderate 
inflammation. 

INFLAMMATION   OF  THE   STOMACH  AND   BOWELS.— 

(G  astro -enter  it  is.} 

This  is  a  complicated  disease,  attended  with  considerable  danger, 
and  requires  some  knowledge  of  pathology  in  order  to  detect  it 
when  occurring  in  an  animal  destitute  of  the  power  of  speech. 
The  disease,  probably,  first  manifests  itself  in  the  stomach,  and,  as 
it  progresses,  involves  the  inner  membrane  of  the  intestines,  and 
from  thence  shifts  to  various  parts  of  the  system.  From  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  by  D' Arboval,  who  is  considered  the  best  authority 
on  this  subject,  such  an  idea  seems  very  plausible  :  "  With  other 
phenomena,  preceding  these,  becomes  united,  in  both  forms  of  the 
disease,  and  in  every  case,  more  or  less  disorder  of  the  functions 
of  other  organs.  Divers  phlegmonous  complications  make  their 
appearance  in  other  parts  of  the  digestive  apparatus  and  its  de- 
pendencies —  in  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  air  passages,  in  the 
brain,  in  the  urinary  passages,  in  the  organs  of  generation,  and 
even,  at  times,  in  the  skin.  The  sur-excitation  of  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  mouth  may  be  regarded  as  sympathetic,  for  it 
increases  or  diminishes  in  the  same  ratio  as  the  gastro-enteritic 
disorder  itself  does.  According  as  the  attack  is  sudden  or  pro- 
tracted, this  membrane  is  dry  or  clammy ;  the  tongue  rarely 
preserves  its  natural  complexion  and  humidity ;  it  has  a  more  or 
less  bright-red  aspect,  particularly  towards  its  point  and  border ; 
its  papilla?  and  mucous  follicles  are  more  or  less  developed ;  its 
surface,  blanched,  white,  or  yellowish,  is  covered  with  a  blackish 
epidermoid  crust ;  the  organ  acquires  volume  and  firmness,  and 
'exhibits  sometimes  along  its  under  surface  phlyctiena,  or  else 
ulcerations  more  or  less  deep  and  extensive.  In  opening  horses 
that  have  died,  points  of  inflammation  have  been  detected  upon 
the  pharynx  and  oesophagus  ;  sometimes  even  aphthce  are  found 


140  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

at  the  bottom  of  the  mouth  :  I  have  seen  them  in  many  horses. 
The  large  intestines  are  sometimes  inflamed,  and  even  on  some 
occasions  the  margin  of  the  anus  may  be  observed  to  have  grown 
red.  The  liver,  with  its  peritoneal  covering  and  excretory  ducts, 
participate  in  this  same  excitation.  Gastro-enteritis  rarely  ex- 
ists in  intensity  for  any  time  without  reacting  upon  the  mucous 
membrane  of  the  respiratory  passages,  producing  that  sympa- 
thetic phlegmasia  which  is  known  by  a  sort  of  rale ;  by  a  pain- 
ful state  of  the  throat  and  upper  part  of  the  windpipe  ;  by  embar- 
rassed respiration  ;  by  dilatation  of  the  nostrils  ;  by  accelerated 
heavings  of  the  flanks ;  by  a  short,  dry,  hollow  cough ;  by  shak- 
ings; and  occasionally  by  a  discharge  from  the  nose  of  frothy 
mucous  matter,  sometimes,  but  rarely,  yellowish.  Inflammation 
of  the  lungs  may  also  be  a  complication  ;  then  the  expiration 
becomes  more  frequent,  the  respiration  short  and  quick,  the  ex- 
pired air  hot,  and  the  pulse  strong.  Peritonitis  and  nephritis 
may  likewise  prove  complications.  In  the  first  case,  the  horse 
experiences  abdominal  pains,  and  rubs  his  lips  ;  in  the  second, 
there  is  inflexibility  of  the  spine  about  the  lumbar  region,  and 
the  animal  evinces  pain  when  pressed  over  the  kidneys  ;  the 
urine  is  also  redder  and  less  in  quantity.  In  fine,  when  gastro- 
enteritis is  most  intense,  the  consequent  uneasiness  and  fatigue 
are  often  attributable  to  the  brain  ;  the  derangement  of  which  is 
indicated  by  the  extended  neck,  the  heat  and  heaviness  about 
the  head,  the  drooping  attitude,  the  resting -point  that  he  makes 
of  the  manger,  and  the  drowsiness  he  evinces.  At  the  time,  the 
sight  and  hearing  become  affected  ;  the  conjunctiva  looks  red  and 
injected,  or  it  assumes  a  purplish  hue,  which,  at  the  bottom,  often 
turns  yellowish,  and  exhibits  phlyctcena ;  the  eyeball  is  inflamed, 
and  the  eye  obscured ;  the  muscles  of  the  face  are  irregularly  con- 
tracted ;  there  is  grinding  of  the  teeth ;  often  symptoms  of  vertigo, 
and  sometimes  to  that  degree  that  some  veterinarians  —  among 
others  Dupuy  —  have  regarded  the  gastro-enteritis  of  1825  as 
a  form  of  vertiginous  affection.  This  combination  is  especially 
fatal,  and  quickly  so,  and  particularly  in  old  horses,  and  such  as 
are  oppressed  with  work  beyond  their  powers,  or  otherwise  de- 
bilitated. Phlegmasia,  sympathetically  developed  in  the  urinary 
passages  and  organs  of  generation,  will  account  for  the  changes 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  141 

in  the  urine  before  mentioned,  for  the  agitation  of  the  tail ;  the 
frequent  desire  to  stale ;  the  erections  of  the  penis  of  the  stone- 
horse  ;  the  outstretching  of  the  legs  of  the  gelding ;  the  reddening 
of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  vulva  of  females,  and  the  sense 
of  heat  in  introducing  the  finger  into  the  vagina.  The  skin  Avill 
not  prove  exempt  from  becoming  sur-excited,  as  will  be  evinced 
by  its  elevation  of  temperature,  its  state  of  dryness  or  sweat, 
the  slight  adherence  of  the  hair,  its  dull  and  rough  aspect ;  and, 
moreover,  in  some  epidemics,  by  the  buttony  eruptions  manifest 
upon  it.  At  the  last,  swellings  rise  upon  the  hind  legs  or  hocks ; 
cedema  appears  upon  the  belly,  sheath,  and  breast ;  the  scrotum 
becomes  covered  with  a  dried  matter  in  place  of  the  natural  unc- 
tuous secretion ;  or  else  phlegmonous  tumors  form  upon  divers 
parts  of  the  body;  some  we  have  observed  upon  the  parotids 
and  breast. 

"Autopsies.  —  Postmortem  inspections  have  shown  different 
and  various  diseases,  according  as  gastro-enteritis  has  set  in  more 
or  less  suddenly,  been  slow  or  rapid  in  its  course,  and  more  or  less 
complicated  with  the  inflammation  of  some  viscus  or  other  part, 
besides  the  stomach  and  intestine  ;  for  it  is  to  be  remarked,  that 
constantly  one  organ  is  especially  attacked,  and  exhibits  dis- 
ease violent  in  proportion  as  other  organs  are  slightly  affected. 
The  mucous  membrane  lining  the  stomach  is  more  or  less  red- 
dened, particularly  the  portion  within  the  right  sac,  the  entire 
surface  of  which  sometimes  appears  so ;  besides  which  it  is  in- 
jected, and  in  some  places  ecchymosed.  The  red  color  —  proof 
incontestable  of  the  existence  of  inflammation  during  life  —  ap- 
pears under  a  great  variety  of  shades ;  the  deep-brown  tint 
shows  gangrene,  a  change  also  indicated  by  the  friability  of  the 
part  and  its  speedy  progress  to  putrefaction  after  death.  Patches 
of  redness  are  also  visible  in  different  places  upon  the  membrane, 
(the  mucous  follicles  being  larger  than  common ;)  sometimes 
superficial  ulcerations,  petechias  even,  and  gangrenous  eschars, 
which  may  be  nothing  more  than  ecchymosis.  Similar  appear- 
ances are  found  in  the  small  intestines,  whose  mucous  membrane 
in  many  parts  is  reddened,  injected,  softened,  and  studded  with 
assemblages  of  pointed  eruptions  ;  a  gray,  thick,  glairy  mucus, 
and  some  petechial  spots,  are  also  visible.     In  some  cases,  the 


142  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

matters  contained  in  the  small  intestines  are  solid,  and  look  as 
though  they  had  been  dried,  though  this  is  an  appearance  more 
common  in  the  large  guts,  unless  there  happened  to  have  existed 
diarrhoea  before  death  ;  in  the  caecum  we  almost  always  find  this, 
and  for  some  way  also,  though  in  a  less  marked  degree,  within 
the  cells  of  the  colon.  More  or  less  inflammation  is  observable 
in  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  fauces  ;  the  sides  of  the  tongue 
are  covered  with  ulcerations  resembling  aphtha? ;  and  the  surface 
of  the  pharynx,  which  is  more  or  less  deeply  reddened,  some- 
times presents  a  cribriform  or  worm-eaten  appearance.  Its  folli- 
cles also  often  acquire  such  considerable  development  that  they 
might  be  mistaken  for  buds,  with  their  orifices  wide  open.  Some 
of  these  alterations  are  perceptible  at  times  within  the  oesopha- 
gus. When  the  disease  has  proved  complicated,  we  also  find, 
after  death,  alterations  in  those  organs  which  have  shown  a  dis- 
position to  partake  of  it.  The  liver  is  often  tumid,  its  veins  are 
gorged  with  blood,  and  its  substance  is  pale  and  without  firm- 
ness ;  in  some  subjects  ecchymosis  and  recent  adhesions  are  ap- 
parent upon  its  exterior,  evidently  the  consequences  of  inflam- 
mation. The  lungs  at  one  time  are  simply  engorged  ;  at  another, 
within  the  anterior  appendices  and  extremities  of  the  lobes  they 
exhibit  the  red  induration  ;  or  they  are  hepatized  in  places,  or 
inflamed  around  their  periphery,  and  contain  spumous  blood. 
In  certain  subjects,  the  pleura  is  reddened  and  thickened,  and 
covered  with  layers  of  albumen,  a  part  of  which  forms  false 
membranes  and  points  of  adhesion  to  the  walls  of  the  thorax. 
Effusion  is  rare ;  notwithstanding  it  has  been  observed  by  me  in 
two  instances,  and  in  one  of  them  so  considerable  was  the  quan- 
tity that  the  case  nowise  differed  from  hydrothorax.  Accord- 
ing to  M.  Girard,  whose  observations  we  are  now  borrowing, 
the  heart  is  the  organ  most  and  oftenest  affected.  The  pericar- 
dium, commonly  infiltrated  in  substance  with  yellow  fluid,  contains 
more  or  less  serosity,  sometimes  bloody,  and  affords  evident  marks 
of  acute  inflammation.  In  many  subjects  the  heart  is  twice  its 
natural  volume,  its  substance  pale  and  discolored,  and  void  of 
tenacity,  rends  with  facility  ;  its  exterior,  in  a  state  of  inflamma- 
tion, exhibits  black  spots,  the  effects  either  of  ecchymosis  or  gan- 
grene, (most  probably  of  the  former.)     Its  cavities  always  contain 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  143 

black,  thick  blood,  semi-coagulated;  and  often  yellow,  consisting 
of  fibrinous,  albuminous  concretions.  These  productions,  large  or 
small,  exist  sometimes,  says  M.  Girard,  in  the  right  cavities,  some- 
times in  the  left,  and  sometimes  in  both  right  and  left  at  once  ; 
they  always  occupy  the  auriculo-ventricular  opening,  and  more  or 
less  completely  fill  it.  Such  appearances  would  have  escaped 
observation  both  in  men  and  animals,  had  not  M.  Girard  pointed 
them  out  in  horses  in  the  gastro-enteritis  called  the  epidemic  of 
1825.  Do  they  form  during  or  after  life  ?  The  former  director 
of  the  Alfort  school  entertained  the  first  hypothesis,  and  thought 
that  the  concretions  in  question  might  prove  the  cause  of  death, 
by  producing  that  suffocation  which  he  had  observed  in  horses 
which  died  suddenly  and  in  a  manner  asphyxiated. 

"  Supposing  it  were  so,  adds  M.  Girard,  we  should  obtain  an 
easy  explanation  to  the  obstruction  of  the  lungs,  the  engorgement 
of  the  liver,  the  phlogosis  of  the  air  tubes,  and  the  presence  of 
frothy  mucus  within  them.  According  to  the  same  authority, 
the  internal  surfaces  of  the  cavities  of  the  heart  present  vestiges 
of  sub-acute  inflammation  ;  the  redness  is  most  remarkable  in 
the  tricuspid  and  mitral  valves,  and  extends  into  the  arterial 
and  venous  trunks;  though  it  is  not  equally  perceptible  in  all 
the  cavities  of  the  heart  or  within  the  venous  and  arterial  trunks. 

"  In  general,  little  alteration  is  visible  in  the  brain,  though  in 
some  subjects  the  exterior  presents  marks  of  inflammation.  M. 
Girard  once  observed  inflammation  in  the  right  lobe  ;  and  M. 
Rainaud  speaks  of  the  injection  of  the  veins  of  the  brain,  of 
effusion  into  the  lateral  ventricles,  of  slight  yellowish  infiltration, 
and  of  concretions  of  the  same  hue  in  the  choroid  plexus.  When 
the  urinary  apparatus  participates  in  the  inflammation,  the  kid- 
neys are  redder  than  ordinary,  and  their  tissue  is  extremely 
lacerable  ;  the  bladder  exhibiting  red  spots,  and  the  urine  being 
saffron  or  brick-dust  colored.  In  some  instances,  the  whole  of 
the  sub-cutaneous,  cellular,  and  muscular  tissue  is  infiltrated,  and 
its  areola}  are  filled  with  yellowish  fluid  —  an  appearance  most 
remarkable  in  the  breast,  scrotum,  and  sheath,  when  such  parts 
have  proved  cedematous  during  life. 

"  Such  were  the  principal  signs  of  disease  observed  in  the 
iorses  that  fell  victims  to  the  gastro-enteritis  of  1825.     The 


144  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

principal  and  most  constant  lesion,  however,  —  that  which  con- 
stituted the  disease,  and  from  which  all  the  others  were  derived,  — 
was  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach  and 
intestines."  —  Hippopathology,  p.  232. 

Symptoms  of  Gastro-Enteritis.  —  The  symptoms  vary  as  the 
disease  progresses  and  spreads  over  the  digestive  surface,  so  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  give,  with  certainty,  any  symptoms  that 
can  correspond  to  a  given  case  of  this  character ;  for  the  disease 
may  be  termed,  and  sometimes  is,  one  of  progression,  beginning 
in  the  stomach,  invading  tissue  after  tissue,  until  the  disease 
becomes  general ;  it  is  then  said  to  be  complicated,  and  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  we  meet  with  a  variety  of  symptoms  as  the  morbid 
phenomena  develop  themselves.  Notwithstanding  this,  there  are 
a  few  symptoms,  which,  if  recognized,  tend  to  mark  the  form  and 
character  of  the  disease. 

Supposing  the  disease  first  to  originate  in  the  stomach,  as  it  no 
doubt  does,  we  shall  be  assisted  somewhat  in  our  diagnosis  if  we 
are  acquainted  with  the  prominent  symptoms,  as  they  occur  in  the 
human  subject,  selecting  those,  however,  which  apply  to  animals, 
either  directly  or  indirectly.  The  symptoms,  as  they  occur  in  our 
species,  are,  a  violent  pain  in  the  stomach,  distention,  and  flatu-. 
lency  ;  thirst,  restlessness,  anxiety  ;  frequent,  hard,  and  contracted 
pulse  ;  great  loss  of  strength ;  interrupted  respiration  ;  coldness 
of  the  extremities ;  clammy  sweats,  terminating  in  suppuration, 
ulceration,  or  gangrene.  On  dissection,  we  find  a  highly  vascu- 
lar and  inflamed  gastric  surface,  having  a  layer  of  coagulable 
lymph  lining  its  surface,  and  sometimes  ulceration  takes  place, 
and  the  walls  of  the  stomach  are  thickened. 

The  symptoms  of  enteritis  (inflammation  of  the  bowels)  in  the 
human  subject  are  —  it  is  ushered  in  with  sharp  pain,  extending 
over  the  whole  of  the  abdomen ;  obstinate  constipation  and  vom- 
iting, (the  latter  does  not  apply  to  the  horse  ;)  thirst,  great  anxiety, 
restlessness,  quick  and  hard  pulse.  After  a  short  time,  the  pain 
becomes  more  severe,  the  bowels  seem  drawn  together  by  a  kind 
of  spasm,  which  extends  to  the  bladder,  so  that  the  urine  is  voided 
with  great  difficulty. 

Dissections  show  inflammation  of  the  internal  coat  of  the  in- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  145 

testines,  ulcerations  and  mortification.  The  intestines  are  ob- 
structed, twisted,  and  one  part  frequently  dips,  into  another,  so  as 
to  entirely  block  up  the  channel.  Combine  the  symptoms  of 
these  two  diseases,  and  we  have  a  case  of  g •astro-enteritis.  We 
must  remember  that  in  the  horse  the  inflammation  extends  more 
rapidly,  and  diffuses  itself  to  other  tissues,  and  that,  ere  ulceration 
or  gangrene  have  set  in,  the  animal  frequently  dies. 

The  symptoms  of  gastro-enteritis,  in  the  horse,  have  thus  been 
described  by  D'Arboval :  "  When  the  disorder  sets  in  rapidly,  it 
is  indicated  by  dejection,  dulness,  slight  anxiety,  head  depend- 
ent and  heavy,  and  hanging  in  the  manger ;  infiltration  of  the 
eyelids,  which  are  half  closed  ;  reddening  with  yellowness  of  the 
conjunctiva ;  tearful  eyes ;  deep  and  jerking  respiration.  Soon 
the  mucous  membranes  acquire  the  same  hue  as  the  conjunctiva, 
and  are  at  times  infiltrated  and  tumefied.  To  these  symptoms 
are  joined  loss  of  appetite,  often  sudden ;  a  dry,  clammy,  foul 
tongue,  red  at  the  upper  part  and  around  the  borders ;  more  or 
less  thirst ;  stiffness  of  the  spine  and  hind  legs,  with  difficulty  in 
moving,  and  swelling  of  the  latter  ;  staggering  gait ;  weariness  ; 
alternate  heats  and  chills  about  the  ears;  pulse  at  the  com- 
mencement full,  strong,  and  quick ;  afterwards  small,  hard,  and 
thready.  The  belly  becomes  tense,  but  has  rather  a  tucked-up 
than  inflated  appearance.  On  some  occasions  the  attack  is  so 
sudden  that  the  horse,  saddled  or  harnessed,  experiences  all  at 
once  a  remarkable  heaving  of  the  flanks,  dilatation  of  the  nostrils, 
dependence  or  incurvation  of  the  head,  griping  pains,  partial  tre- 
mors of  the  muscles  of  the  shoulder  and  stifle,  staggering,  some- 
times squatting  upon  the  haunches,  or  falling  down  and  reposing 
the  head  upon  the  ground.  Most  horses  cannot  lie  down ;  many 
maintain  the  erect  position  evidently  with  pain  ;  others  fear  to 
move  lest  they  fall.  The  vital  powers  seem  to  concentrate  them- 
selves inwardly;  the  skin  becomes  insensible;  the  coat  loses  i(s 
gloss,  and  turns  dry  and  penfeathered  ;  prostration  supervenes  ; 
the  discharges  are  rare  and  scanty;  the  dungballs  small,  dry, 
blackish,  and  coated ;  the  urine,  equally  scanty,  is  at  one  time 
reddened,  at  another  limpid  and  crude,  and  not  expelled  without 
effort.  Most  horses,  during  the  height  of  their  complaint,  will, 
13 


146  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

at  intervals,  grind  their  teeth ;  all  experience  considerable  heat 
under  the  foretop,  across  the  whole  parietal  region.  The  horses 
predisposed  to  sudden  attacks  of  gastro-enteritis  are  the  young, 
vigorous,  sanguineous,  and  irritable ;  in  particular  those  over  well 
fed  in  proportion  to  their  work."  —  Hippopathology,  p.  225. 

In  this  section  of  the  United  States,  where  so  little  attention 
has  been  paid  to  hygienic  rules  as  they  apply  to  horseflesh,  we 
find  a  large  proportion  of  equine  diseases  originating  in  the 
stomach  ;  ordinarily,  however,  they  manifest  themselves  more  on 
the  nervous  and  cerebral  functions  than  on  the  gastric,  princi- 
pally through  their  sympathetic  relations :  there  are  cases,  how- 
ever, from  the  presence  of  a  large  amount  of  food  in  the  stomach, 
which  that  organ  is  unable  to  digest,  where  it  may,  by  irritating 
the  inner  walls  of  the  stomach,  produce  acute  disease  of  that  organ. 
So  also  as  regards  poisonous  agents ;  they  act  chemically,  or  as 
mechanical  irritants,  developing  primary  disease  in  the  gastric 
cavity,  which  gradually  extends  to  other  organs. 

Treatment  of  G -astro-Enteritis.  —  With  a  view  of  lessening  the 
irritation  of  the  digestive  surfaces,  we  resort  to  mucilaginous 
drinks.  Various  articles  are  in  use,  such  as  gum  arabic,  slippery 
elm,  flaxseed,  flour  porridge,  &c.  The  treatment  must,  how- 
ever, have  reference  to  the  exciting  causes.  If  a  horse  shows 
symptoms  of  this  malady,  and  is  supposed  to  have  an  engorged 
stomach  from  food,  a  stimulating  drench  must  be  given,  to  arouse 
the  digestive  function,  and  thus  get  rid  of  the  burden.  It  is  gen- 
erally customary  among  our  race  to  take  stimulants  after  a  hearty 
meal,  to  assist  digestion  ;  and  we  generally  find  they  have  the 
desired  effect.  So,  also,  if  we  wish  to  empty  a  full  stomach, 
and  arouse  the  digestive  function  of  a  horse,  we  must  do  the  same 
thing,  or  we  cannot  remove  the  exciting  cause.  Purges  are  of 
no  sort  of  use  for  the  purpose  of  liberating  the  contents  of  an 
overloaded  stomach ;  and  if  inflammation  has  fairly  set  in,  they 
are  injurious.  On  the  other  hand,  the  stimulants  here  recom- 
mended will  do  no  harm  while  the  stomach  is  gorged  or  other- 
wise, provided  they  be  mixed  with  lubricants,  or  not,  as  the  case 
requires.  Physicians  do  not  hesitate  a  moment  about  applying 
stimulants,  such  as  tincture  of  myrrh,  &c,  to  wounds  and  abraded 
surfaces.     The  popular  empyrical  compound  so  much  in  use  at 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  147 

the  present  day,  called  pain  killer,  is  a  concentrated  stimulant, 
and  we  are  told  that  it  does  good. 

Supposing  that  the  stomach  is  in  a  torpid  condition,  Ave  give 
the  following  drench :  — 

Tincture  of  ginger, 2  ounces, 

Fine  salt, 1  ounce, 

Essence  of  peppermint,  ....     1  ounce. 

At  the  end  of  four  hours  we  commence  to  lubricate  the  diges- 
tive surfaces,  by  mucilaginous  drenches.  To  guard  against 
constipation,  we  resort  to  cream  of  tartar  and  sulphur,  and  if  the 
pain  is  still  severe,  (which  may  be  known  by  the  patient's  actions,) 
a  dose  of  linseed  oil  and  lime  water  should  be  given.  Occasional 
clysters  are  advisable  so  long  as  the  bowels  are  torpid  and  the 
excrement  scanty.  Counter  irritants  are  indicated  when  the 
extremities  are  cold  and  the  surface  inactive ;  hand  rubbing  and 
wisping  with  straw  in  a  downward  direction  tend  to  impart 
heat  and  a  free  current  of  blood  to  the  surface,  and  of  course 
relieve  deep-seated  inflammation. 

If  the  disease  is  occasioned  by  the  use  of  large  doses  of  anti- 
mony or  other  mineral  poisons,  the  patient  should  be  drenched 
with  weak  soap  suds,  or  lime  water  and  linseed  oil,  equal  parts, 
and  afterwards  be  fed  on  starch  gruel  and  mucilage  of  marsh- 
mallows.  We  cannot  be  expected  to  write  all  the  necessary 
directions  that  may  be  needed  in  a  case  of  this  character ;  there- 
fore, if  the  services  of  a  veterinary  surgeon  can  be  obtained,  the 
owner  had  better  employ  him. 

TWISTING  OF  THE  INTESTINES.  —  (Volvulus,  Intussusception.) 

Definition.  —  (Intus-susceptio,  and  intro-susceptio  ;  from  intus, 
within,  and  suscipio,  to  receive.)  A  disease  of  the  intestinal  tube, 
and  most  frequently  of  the  small  intestines ;  it  consists  in  a  por- 
tion of  gut  passing  for  some  length  within  another  portion.  — 
Hooper. 

Volvulus,  from  volvo,  to  roll  up.  The  iliac  passion,  or  inflam- 
mation in  the  bowels,  called  twisting  of  the  guts.  —  Ibid. 

This  trouble  is  quite  common  among  horses,  yet  at  post  mortem 
examinations  it  is  not  always  evident ;  this  may  arise  in  conse- 


148  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

quence  of  the  intestine  having  slipped  into  place,  either  from 
handling  the  bowels,  or  from  the  relaxation  that  takes  place  at 
death.  A  circumscribed,  strangulated,  and  discolored  spot  may 
perhaps  be  found,  and  in  the  absence  of  any  constriction  of  the 
intestinal  canal  at  this  spot,  we  may  suspect  that  intus-susception 
has  existed. 

Intus-susception  may  arise  from  various  causes ;  the  chief  of 
which  is  a  deranged  state  of  the  digestive  organs.  It  is  well 
known  that  the  difficulty  often  follows  both  flatulent  and  spas- 
modic colic,  and  these  maladies  are  the  sequel  of  the  former.  It 
is  also  well  known  that  in  colic  a  large  amount  of  carbonic  acid 
and  other  gases  are  generated  within  the  intestinal  canal,  by  which 
their  volume  is  inordinately  increased,  and  their  position  so 
changed  that  we  need  not  be  surprised  to  find  them  at  times 
twisted  into  all  manner  of  shapes.  In  cases  of  intus-susception, 
we  have  met  with  strictures  in  various  parts  of  the  small  intes- 
tines ;  these  contractions  or  constrictions  of  the  canal  may  possi- 
bly be  the  cause  of  intus-susception  —  if  so,  then  our  treatment 
should  be  nauseating  and  relaxing.  In  the  human  subject,  intus- 
susception is  generally  relieved  by  vomiting  —  inverted  peristaltic 
action ;  but  as  that  is  rather  an  uncommon  occurrence  in  the 
horse,  we  must  not  expect  relief  in  this  way. 

The  symptoms  of  volvulus  do  not  differ  materially  from  those 
attending  colic,  with  this  exception,  that  the  animal  is  more  tran- 
quil when  lying  down,  and  does  not  paw  with  his  fore  feet  when 
up,  as  he  invariably  does  when  suffering  from  colic.  The  pain 
also  seems  more  persistent,  as  evinced  by  the  distressing  look  and 
uneasiness  of  the  head.  The  disease  is  apt  to  terminate  in  rup- 
ture of  the  intestine,  diaphragm,  or  stomach  —  for  which  there  is 
no  remedy. 

Treatment.  —  Administer  the  following  drench  :  — 

Tincture  of  ginger, 2  ounces, 

Oil  of  peppermint, 20  drops, 

Chloric  ether, 2  drachms, 

Thin  gruel, £  pint. 

Rub  the  belly,  and  give  clysters  of  salt  and  water. 

We  prefer  to  give  the  above  medicine  prior  to  the  administra- 
tion of  nauseants,  especially  in  the  early  stage  of  an  attack,  (when 
the  symptoms  are.  more  of  a  colicky  nature,)  because  we  have 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  149 

seen  it  accomplish  wonders,  in  relieving  the  animal  of  flatus,  and 
freeing  him  from  pain  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  minutes.  The 
reader  may  perhaps  observe,  that  when  relief  is  thus  quickly 
obtained,  the  case  is  one  of  colic.  Our  answer  is,  that  volvulus 
comes  from  colic,  and  if  that  is  cured,  there  is  an  end  of  the  mat- 
ter. We  have  relieved  several  horses  from  this  terrible  affection 
by  the  system  of  packing,  after  the  fashion  of  homoeopathy. 

Bloodletting  is  almost  universally  practised  for  this  complaint; 
but  we  prefer  to  nauseate  instead  of  deplete.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  painful  affections  to  which  the  horse  is  subject,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  very  short  time  the  pain  has  so  perverted  the  functions 
that  blood  cannot  be  spared,  as  will  be  seen  on  perusing  the  fol- 
lowing article :  — 

"  Changes  which  the  Blood  undergoes  during  Pain. 

"  M.  Clement,  in  his  researches  on  the  alterations  which  pain, 
a  long  time  endured,  may  occasion  in  the  composition  of  the  blood, 
intended  to  serve  in  aid  of  explaining  respiration  and  nutrition, 
remarks,  it  appears  that  during  violent  pain  — 

"1.  The  water  and  coloring  matter  of  the  blood  augment,  or 
seem  to  augment,  in  quantity. 

"  2.  The  albumen  and  fibrine  diminish. 

"  3.  That  while  the  fibrine  and  albumen  in  unison  are  diminish- 
ing i-Jjjjj  on  an  average  on  the  one  part,  the  coloring  matters  of 
the  blood  are  increasing  about  ifajj  on  the  other  side. 

"  4.  That  these  facts,  studied  in  relation  to  the  influence  of  pain 
on  the  organism,  show  that  severe  pain,  by  the  sure  excitation  of . 
the  organic  functions  it  produces,  must  be  expected  to  speed- 
ily and  deeply  wear  the  economy,  sovthat  this  last,  in  order  to 
sustain  itself,  has  need  to  react  strongly  on  the  elements  of  the 
blood. 

"  o.  That  the  blood  in  this  case  loses  part  of  its  fibrine  and 
part  of  its  albumen,  without  losing  any  of  its  globules. 

"  6.  That  in  relation  to  the  study  of  nutrition  and  respiration, 
it  would  seem  to  result  from  these  facts,  and  especially  when  we 
come  to  compare  the  chemical  composition  of  the  blood  with  that 
of  the  soft  tissues,  in  particular  the  muscles :  a,  the  fibrine,  is  to 
serve  exclusively  for  nutrition  ;  b,  and  that  albumen,  which  would 
13*      »*•         .  *  * 


# 


150  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

appear  to  escape  this  physiological  act,  is  destined  for  the  purpose 
of  respiration  and  to  produce  fibrine. 

"  7.  That  this  supposition  seems  explicable  on  the  double  fact : 
a,  that  the  albumen,  which  exists  in  great  quantities  in  the  blood, 
is,  on  the  contrary,  but  little  abundant  in  the  muscles  and  other 
tissues ;  b,  that  the  fibrine,  which  predominates  in  the  muscles, 
for  example,  figures  in  a  very  small  proportion  in  the  composition 
of  the  blood. 

"  8.  That,  according  to  the  same  supposition,  the  albumen  of 
the  blood  will  be  in  part  free,  in  part  combined ;  and  that  the 
portion  in  combination  would  be  with  the  fibrine  in  order  to  hold 
it  in  solution,  and  thus  favor  its  circulation  through  the  vessels, 
and.  in  its  ultimate  analysis,  its  assimilation. 

"  9.  That  in  every  respiration  a  part  only  of  the  albumen  is 
combusted  and  converted  into  fibrine. 

"  10.  That  this  dissolution  of  fibrine  becomes  necessary  in 
order  to  oppose  the  coagulation  of  a  principle  whose  disposition 
is  to  become  solid,  and,  as  we  all  know,  very  firmly  so. 

"11.  That,  moreover,  this  coagulation  is  hindered  by  the  inter- 
position and  suspension  in  the  blood  and  motion  of  the  colored 
corpuscles. 

"  12.  That  the  use  of  these  corpuscles  is  to  divide  the  albumen 
and  fibrine,  to  oppose  the  coagulation  of  the  latter,  and  moreover 
to  imbibe  the  oxygen  of  the  air  which  is  going  to  occasion  a  fresh 
combustion  in  the  woof  of  the  living  tissues,  and  so  favor  the 
normal  accomplishment  of  the  function  of  assimilation  and  nu- 
trition." —  Translated  from  the  French,  by  Mr.  Percivall. 


« 


COLIC. 


In  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  colic  is  the  result  of  impaired  digestive 
organs;  the  food  runs  into  fermentation,  and  evolves  carbonic 
acid  gas.  In  view  of  prevention,  then,  it  becomes  a  matter  of 
importance  to  know  what  are  the  causes  of  indigestion;  and  the 

*  Saleratus  is  a  favorite  remedy  among  horsemen  for  the  cure  of  colic  and 
indigestion.  Being  an  antacid,  it  is  supposed  to  combine  with  the  free  acid 
existing  in  the  digestive  cavity,  and  thus  neutralize  it ;  the  benefit  which 
might  be  derived  from  this  alkali  is  prevented,  by  mixing  it,  as  many  do,  with 


THE    MODEKN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  151 

most  frequent  may  be  said  to  be  immoderate  feeding  —  eating  or 
drinking  whatever  disagrees  with  the  stomach,  either  in  regard  to 
quantity  or  quality.  Every  tyro  in  medicine  knows  that  a 
drink  of  hard  water  will  often  produce  colic,  both  in  man  and 
beast,  provided  the  digestive  function  shall  be  impaired.  Mr. 
White  says,  "  When  the  Royal  Dragoons  were  quartered  at 
Croydon,  scarcely  a  day  passed  without  one  or  more  horses  being 
attacked  with  flatulent  colic,  and,  on  examining  the  water  made 
use  of  in  the  barracks,  it  was  found  remarkably  hard."  Our  own 
experience  confirms  this  fact,  for  before  the  introduction  of 
Cochituate  water  into  Boston,  very  many  of  our  employers'  horses 
were  frequently  attacked  with  both  flatulent  and  spasmodic  colic, 
which  are  now  entirely  free  from  it,  since  they  use  pure,  soft 
water. 

The  treatment  should  consist,  first,  in  the  use  of  diffusible 
stimulants,  (not  alcoholic,)  of  a  carminative  nature,  such,  for 
example,  as  grains  of  paradise,  caraway  seed,  ginger,  &c. ;  and 
these  should  be  given  in  a  liquid  form.  Stimulants  of  a  sanative 
nature  are  always  indicated  in  the  treatment  of  colic;  for  if  the 
stomach  be  distended  with  a  load  of  semi-putrid  food,  how  can  we 
get  rid  of  it  except  by  the  ordinary  way,  when  the  parts  are  in  a 
healthy  state?  Men  have  strangely  erred  in  recommending 
medicine  —  castor  oil,  salts,  aloes,  opium,  turpentine,  &c.  — for  the 
cure  of  colic,  and,  perhaps,  we  ourselves  are  not  free  from  blame  ^r 
in  this  matter.     Experience,  and  nothing  else,  has  changed  our 

milk,  and  sometimes  with  molasses ;  both  of  which  contain  an  acid,  and  must 
therefore  partly  neutralize  the  alkali  before  it  enters  the  horse's  stomach, 
where  it  often  does  more  harm  than  good.  The  action  of  an  alkali,  when  used 
in  this  view,  is  only  palliative,  as  it  does  not  correct  that  diseased  state  of  the 
digestive  organs  which  favors  the  formation  of  acid  or  gas.  The  constant  use 
of  saleratus  on  horses  tends  to  produce  a  disease  of  the  alimentary  canal,  and 
thus  lay  the  foundation  for  future  attacks  of  colic.  Alkalis  should  always  be 
combined  with  carminatives,  and  sometimes  tonics;  and  in  no  case  should  large 
doses  be  given.  If  the  animal  labors  under  pyloric  obstruction,  and  the  gas  is 
supposed  to  exist  in  the  stomach,  the  following  is  the  best  preparation :  — 

Carbonate  ammonia, 1  drachm,  «^T 

Tincture  of  ginger, 1  ounce,  ^s^ 

Water, 1  pint. 

Mix,  and  drench  the  horse. 

If  the  acid  or  gas  exist  in  the  bowels,  substitute  lime  water  for  ammonia,  and 
add  half  an  ounce  of  tincture  of  gentian.  • 


152  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

views,  and  we  give  them  for  the  benefit  of  man  and  horse. 
"Experience  is  the  only  true  guide." 

We  select  the  following  case  as  an  example  of  treatment.  The 
subject  was  a  gray  mare,  seven  years  old,  remarkable  for  her 
capacious  belly.  The  attack  was  ushered  in  with  the  usual  ap- 
pearance of  uneasiness.  We  found  her  lying  down,  her  legs 
gathered  up,  groaning,  and  looking  anxiously  round  at  the  flanks. 
She  would  occasionally  roll  on  her  back,  but  the  abdomen  was  so 
enormously  distended  with  flatus,  that  it  was  with  much  difficulty 
she  could  get  on  her  side  again.  We  commenced  the  treatment 
with  the  following  :  — 

Powdered  grains  of  paradise,      ......     1  tea-spoonful. 

"         caraway, £  tea-spoonful. 

Oil  of  peppermint, .  20  drops. 

Powdered  slippery  elm, 1  table-spoonful. 

Hot  water, 1  pint. 

These  were  mixed  together  and  given  from  a  bottle.  An  injec- 
tion of  common  soap  suds  was  then  thrown  into  the  rectum.  In 
a  few  minutes  the  mare  voided  a  mass  of  excrement,  accompanied 
with  slime  and  wind.  She  now  appeared  to  grow  easier,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  was  free  from  pain.  Very  simple  treatment,  the 
reader  may  observe,  yet  we  will  venture  to  say  very  efficient. 
We  have  frequently  cured  alarming  cases  with  a  little  pepper- 
mint tea  alone ;  whereas,  had  the  subject  been  treated  after  the 
fashion  of  some,  the  malady  might,  as  it  often  does,  have  run  on 
to  a  fatal  issue.  Those  who  prefer  to  use  powerful  remedies,  as 
they  are  called,  may  ask,  What  good  can  peppermint  tea  accom- 
plish ?  We  answer,  nature  delights  in  simples  ;  the  mother  finds 
it  good  for  infants,  and  men  almost  invariably  take  peppermint,  in 
some  form,  for  the  relief  of  colic ;  and  we  have  tried  it,  and  found 
it  good  for  horses. 

Inflammation  of  the  bowels  is  very  apt  to  set  in  during  an 
attack  of  colic  from  the  use  of  spirits  or  oil  of  turpentine,  and 
other  popular  nostrums  ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  deplored  that  so 
noble  an  animal  as  the  horse  should  be  made  to  undergo  such 
torture  as  he  is  known  to  do  from  the  administration  of  turpen- 
tine. If  any  of  our  readers  wish  to  satisfy  themselves  of  the 
irritating  properties  of  turpentine,  let  them  just  apply  a  small 
quantity  to  the  skin  of  a  horse,  and  they  will  perceive  that  it  is 


THE    MODEKN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  153 

an  irritant  of  no  ordinary  character ;  the  restlessness  of  the  ani- 
mal, his  efforts  to  "  get  at  the  part,"  and  the  tumefaction  that  fol- 
lows, all  denote  the  pain  he  suffers. 

An  article  of  this  kind,  therefore,  to  say  the  least,  is  not  a 
suitable  one  to  introduce  within  the  digestive  canal,  the  surface 
of  which  may  be  considered  equally  susceptible  to  irritation. 
Neither  are  we  compelled  to  resort  to  its  use  in  view  of  curing 
colic,  when  the  arcana  of  nature  teem  with  an  untold  number  of 
valuable  carminatives  and  antispasmodics.  A  few  drops  of  the 
oil  of  peppermint,  or  anise-seed,  dissolved  in  a  small  quantity  of 
alcohol,  and  given  as  a  drench  in  thin  gruel  or  warm  water,  are 
worth  all  the  spirits  of  turpentine  in  the  world  for  the  cure  of  colic. 

The  author  is  in  possession  of  uncontrovertible  facts,  which 
show  that  turpentine  administered  without  the  precaution  adopted 
by  those  who  know  its  properties,  and  are  still  in  favor  of  its  use, 
—  which  is,  to  mix  it  with  mucilage,  —  that  a  vast  number  of 
valuable  horses  have  peen  suddenly  destroyed,  and  many  others 
have  lingered  for  several  days  before  death,  from  an  aggravated 
form  of  intestinal  inflammation. 

Lest  the  reader  should  suppose  us  singular  in  our  opinion 
regarding  the  effects  of  oil  of  turpentine,  we  will  just  quote  one 
case  to  the  point.  A  veterinary  surgeon  says  (p.  432,  vol.  xxv. 
Veterinarian)  that  he  was  called  to  attend  a  horse  with  apparently 
colicky  pains.  "  The  village  smith  was  summoned,  who  prescribed 
a  large  dose  of  oil  of  turpentine,  which  was  repeated ;  but  the 
symptoms  increasing  rather  than  abating,  I  was  sent  for.  But, 
alas  !  ere  my  arrival  the  medicine  had  done  its  work,  death  havino- 
relieved  the  animal  from  further  maltreatment.  I  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  make  a  post  mortem  examination,  and  never  saw  more 
widely  diffused  inflammation.  The  whole  of  the  intestines  were 
highly  inflamed,  and  there  was,  besides,  sufficient  evidence  of  the 
kidneys  not  having  escaped  intact,  as  also  some  of  the  other  vis- 
cera. No  cause  being  assigned,  it  is  impossible  to  say  whether 
the  inflammation  existed  previously  to,  or  was  the  result  of,  the 
administration  of  the  turpentine.  Even  if  the  former  were  the 
case,  it  is  certain  the  latter  exacerbated  the  disease." 


154  THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


INFLAMMATION   OF  THE  PERITONEUM.  —  (Peritonitis.) 

The  peritoneum  is  a  serous  membrane,  within  the  abdominal 
cavity,  connected  throughout  the  whole  extent  of  the  walls  of  the 
abdomen  by  cellular  tissue.  It  forms  a  covering  also  to  the 
whole  of  the  viscera  within  that  cavity.  It  is  occasionally  the 
seat  of  peritonitis,  which  does  not  differ  from  inflammation  of  the 
bowels  ;  it  is  the  same  disease  located  on  the  outer  instead  of 
the  inner  membrane,  and  consists  of  a  loss  of  equilibrium  in  the 
circulating  fluids,  or  a  determination  of  blood  to  the  parts.  It  is 
supposed  to  arise  from  chilling  the  surface,  or  from  mechanical 
injuries.  The  treatment  is  the  same  as  for  inflammation  of  the 
bowels ;  which  see. 

DIARRHOEA. 

This  is  not  a  very  common  disease  among  horses  ;  there  is, 
however,  a  kind  of  feculent  diarrhoea  that  often  happens  among 
gross  feeders ;  yet,  so  long  as  it  does  not  continue  any  length  of 
time,  nor  prostrate  the  patient,  it  is  rather  salutary  than  other- 
l—  wise ;  it  is  the  only  means  by  which  the  system  can  be  relieved 
of  the  superabundant  carbon  which  the  depraved  feeder  often 
takes  into  his  stomach  at  a  time  when  there  is  no  need  of  it ; 
so  that  we  should  not  be  over-hasty  in  checking  a  diarrhoea  of 
this  description.  A  case  which  may  serve  as  a  warning  to  some 
occurred  in  this  city  some  time  since.  The  subject,  a  valuable 
dapple-colored  stud,  had  an  attack  of  feculent  diarrhoea ;  it  had 
been  on  him  about  twelve  hours,  when  the  owner  called  on  us, 
and  stated  that  he  wished  to  have  the  diarrhoea  stopped,  as  he 
must  ride  the  animal  on  the  day  following  in  a  military  proces- 
sion. "We  represented  to  him  the  danger  that  might  arise  from 
suddenly  arresting  active  peristaltic  action,  but  our  advice  was 
not  heeded.  "  Stop  the  diarrhoea  is  all  I  ask  of  you  ;  I  risk  the 
consequences,"  said  the  owner;  and  accordingly  we  prescribed 
the  following  medicine  :  — 

Powdered  white  oak  bark,    ...  1  ounce, 

"  bayberry, 1  ounce, 

"  charcoal, 4  ounces. 

"         gum  kino, £  ounce. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  155 

He  ate  the  whole  of  this,  mixed  with  dry  meal,  in  the  short 
space  of  twelve  hours.  The  diarrhoea  stopped ;  the  horse  per- 
formed the  duty  required  of  him  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  owner ; 
and,  in  spite  of  the  most  active  treatment,  died  on  the  seventh 
day,  of  dropsy.  AVe  should  use  no  efforts,  therefore,  to  check  a 
diarrhoea  in  its  early  stage,  when  occurring  in  a  plethoric  sub- 
ject or  depraved  feeder.  The  occurrence  should  only  serve  as  a 
warning  to  us  to  dip  a  light  hand  into  the  meal  chest,  and  diet  the 
animal ;  perhaps  a  dose  of  sulphur,  charcoal,  and  sassafras,  in 
equal  parts,  to  the  amount  of  an  ounce  or  more,  may  serve  to 
arrest  morbid  action,  and  prevent  fermentation.  The  form  of 
diarrhoea  for  which  our  services  have  generally  been  required 
is  the  hepatic,  in  which  there  is  an  abundant  watery  discharge, 
mixed  with  fecal  matter  and  slime,  of  a  dark-yellow  tinge :  in 
such  cases  the  disease  runs  into  a  chronic  type  ;  there  is  a 
marked  coldness  about  the  body  and  limbs ;  the  appetite  is  im- 
paired ;  the  animal  loses  flesh  very  rapidly,  and  the  discharges 
are  frequent.  The  causes  of  the  various  forms  of  diarrhoea 
are,  increased  irritability  of  the  intestines,  which  produce  too 
rapid  propulsion  of  the  secretions ;  from  a  large  collection  of 
excrementitious  matter  in  the  digestive  cavity ;  from  perverted 
action  of  the  liver;  and  from  congestion  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane of  the  intestines.  These  causes  are  often  preceded  by 
others  which  act  directly  or  indirectly  on  the  external  surface  ; 
hence,  if  a  horse,  when  in  a  state  of  perspiration,  be  suffered 
to  cool  off  too  suddenly,  or  if  his  body  and  limbs  be  sluiced  with 
cold  water  when  the  exhalant  vessels  are  very  active,  this  dis- 
ease may  follow.  Some  horses,  when  permitted  to  eat  large 
quantities  of  new  oats  and  hay,  are  apt  to  scour :  this  form,  how- 
ever, requires  no  medical  treatment,  for  we  have  only  to  change 
the  diet,  and  there  is  an  end  of  the  matter.  Other  animals  of  a 
weak,  washy  constitution  are  frequently  attacked  with  diarrhoea, 
whenever  they  are  put  to  hard  work ;  all  that  is  needed  in  such 
cases  is  to  change  their  vrork  for  something  lighter,  and  give 
them  an  occasional  dose  of  ginger  and  charcoal,  equal  parts. 

Treatment.  —  As  the  disease  is  so  apt  to  occur  after  the  appli- 
cation of  cold,  we  may  safely,  in  all  cases,  excite  capillary  action 
on  the  surface,  by  heat  and  friction  ;  the  body  and  legs  may  be 


156  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

clothed,  as  the  case  seems  to  require,  having  previously  rubbed 
them  with  a  wisp  of  straw ;  when  there  is  great  chilliness,  we 
find  a  loss  of  equilibrium  in  the  circulation,  and,  of  course,  inter- 
nal engorgements ;  and  this  state  cannot  always  be  altered  by 
internal  medicine  alone  ;  therefore  we  resort  to  the  use  of  calorio 
externally,  and  stimulants  internally.  The  following  is  fro 
quently  used  by  us  :  — 

Powdered  ginger, 3  drachms, 

"  charcoal,     ....     2  drachms, 

Flour  gruel, 1  pint, 

Oil  of  peppermint, 20  drops, 

for  a  drench.  Another  dose  may  be  given  at  the  end  of  six 
hours,  and  is  only  contra-indicated  by  a  too  sudden  stoppage  of  the 
discharge,  which  we  must  not  be  too  anxious  to  check.  A  nu- 
tritious diet  is  always  indicated  in  cases  of  prostration  or  debility. 
In  almost  all  cases  of  chronic  diarrhoea,  we  use  a  large  quantity 
of  charcoal,  with  the  very  best  effect,  allowing  the  animal  also  a 
liberal  supply  of  flour  gruel,  seasoned  with  salt  and  cinnamon. 
If  astringents  are  needed  to  check  immoderate  discharges,  that 
have  continued  for  several  days,  and  apparently  weaken  the  pa- 
tient, we  use  hardhack,  gum  catechu,  or  bayberry  bark.  Diar- 
rhoea occurring  in  a  plethoric  animal  must  not  be  immediately 
checked,  but  rather  encouraged  at  first,  by  giving  a  dose  of  lin- 
seed oil  and  lime  water ;  two  ounces  of  the  former  to  six  of  the 
latter ;  it  can  then,  at  the  proper  period,  be  checked  with  the 
above  remedies.  If  the  disease  depends  on  deranged  digestive 
function,  —  the  liver  included,  —  give  a  few  doses  of  the  follow- 
ing :  — 

Powdered  goldenseal,     ....    2  ounces, 

"  ginger, 1  ounce, 

Salt, 1  ounce. 

Dose,  half  an  ounce  twice  a  day. 


FALLING   DOWN   OF  THE  FUNDAMENT.  —  {Prolapsus  Ani.) 

Falling  of  the  fundament  is  generally  occasioned  by  constipa- 
tion of  the  bowels,  wherein  a  large  quantity  of  fecal  matter  ac- 
cumulates in  such  a  manner  as  to  cause  a  portion  of  the  rectum 
to   protrude   beyond    the  sphincter  muscle  of  the  anus.     This 


THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  157 

muscle,  however,  at  times,  seems  to  have  lost  the  power  of  con- 
tracting to  its  normal  size,  from  the  pressure  from  within  out- 
wards;  hence  the  great  difficulty  of  keeping  the  parts  within 
their  limits,  even  after  they  have  been  returned. 

The  difficulty  may  also  be  occasioned  from  inordinate  peristal- 
tic action,  known  as  purging,  looseness,  and  diarrhoea  ;  it  pro- 
ceeds then  from  debility,  and  besides  using  local  astringents,  the 
patient's  health  must  be  restored  by  means  of  nutritious  diet  and 
alterative  astringent  medicines.  Powerful  drastic  cathartics  and 
over-exertion  are  classed  among  the  causes  of  prolapsus. 

Treatment.  —  If  the  case  be  one  originating  in  constipation, 
the  bowels  must  be  evacuated  with  the  following  drench :  — 

Linseed  oil, 12  ounces, 

Tincture  of  aloes, 2  ounces, 

Powdered  ginger, 3  drachms. 

If,  however,  the  bowels  can  be  evacuated  with  any  of  the  saline 
aperients,  such  as  epsom  or  glauber  salts,  they  are  to  be  preferred. 
The  object  is  to  unload  the  bowels,  and  the  less  medicine  and  the 
more  mild  its  operation,  the  better.  When  the  bowels  have  re- 
sponded to  the  medicine,  they  must  be  kept  soluble  by  scalded 
mashes,  green  food,  if  it  can  be  had;  a  liberal  allowance  of 
salt  will  be  of  benefit,  not  only  in  view  of  preventing  constipa- 
tion, but  also  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  the  food  generating 
the  usual  quantity  of  carbonic  acid  gas  ;  the  result  of  which  would 
be  distention  of  the  bowels,  and  great  obstruction  to  the  return 
of  the  gut.  If  the  bowels  are  merely  in  a  torpid  condition,  and 
the  constipation  has  existed  but  a  short  time,  the  following  aperient 
will  be  indicated :  — 

Flowers  of  sulphur,      ....     1  ounce, 
Powdered  bloodroot,     ....     2  drachms, 

To  be  mixed  in  a  bottle,  with  half  a  pint  of  molasses  and  water, 
for  a  drench. 

The  rectum  must  be  returned  by  the  most  gentle  means,  and 
kept  in  position  by  pad  and  bandage.  Before  returning  the  parts, 
they  should  be  freely  bathed  with  cold  water ;  the  water  may  be 
made  slightly  astringent  by  the  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  tinc- 
ture of  muriate  of  iron,  or  a  small  quantity  of  powdered  alum. 
The  cold  water  contracts  the  capillary  vessels,  and  subdues 
14 


158  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

inflammatory  symptoms,  and  of  course  reduces  the  size  of  the 
tumor,  so  that  some  time  should  be  spent  in  bathing  the  parts  ere 
the  reduction  be  attempted. 

A  case  of  prolapsus  ani  was  treated  by  the  author  a  short  time 
ago,  which  is  here  introduced  as  an  example  to  illustrate  the 
treatment.  The  subject  was  a  bay  gelding,  nine  years  old,  of 
plethoric  habit ;  he  had  been  used  but  little  during  the  previous 
three  weeks,  although  kept  on  full  feed ;  the  groom  had  noticed 
that  the  animal  strained  hard  in  voiding  the  excrement,  and  that 
considerable  protrusion  of  the  rectum  took  place  at  such  times. 
The  prolapsus  was  of  two  days'  duration  ere  the  author's  atten- 
tion was  called  to  it. 

The  protrusion  was  large,  presenting  a  highly-inflamed  lobular 
surface  of  thickened  mucous  membrane,  very  sensitive,  and  some- 
what gangrenous  near  the  anal  opening ;  emitted  a  fetid  odor, 
and  discharged  a  sanious  fluid. 

Treatment.  —  A  drench  was  given,  composed  of 

Sulphur, 1  ounce, 

Cream  of  tartar, £  ounce, 

Flaxseed  tea, 1  pint. 

After  which,  a  clyster  of  salt  and  water,  to  avoid  mortification, 
was  administered.  It  brought  away  some  slimy  excrement,  yet 
aggravated  the  prolapsus.  The  parts  were  then  bathed  by  means 
of  a  soft  sponge,  with  an  astringent  wash,  (one  ounce  of  tincture 
of  muriate  of  iron  to  a  bucket  of  water,)  which,  after  a  time,  re- 
duced their  size.  With  a  view  of  producing  an  astringent  effect, 
and  thus  collapsing  the  rectum,  a  small  portion  of  the  liquid  was 
thrown  into  the  interior,  taking  care  to  let  it  flow  from  the  syr- 
inge in  a  gradual  manner,  so  as  not  to  excite  peristaltic  action. 

Reduction  of  the  Tumor.  —  A  pad  of  linen,  wetted  with  alum 
water,  was  placed  on  the  tumor,  and  constant  pressure,  aided  by 
a  sort  of  kneading  of  the  fingers,  was  kept  up  for  some  time,  but 
to  no  purpose,  when  the  following  expedient  was  resorted  to : 
Having  procured  a  middling-sized  bladder,  the  air  was  pressed 
out  of  it ;  on  being  softened  with  warm  water,  a  common  horse 
catheter  was  introduced  through  its  neck,  and  there  fastened 
with  twine  ;  after  being  smeared  with  olive  oil,  it  was  introduced 
within  the  rectum  ;  an  assistant  was  now  directed  to  place  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  159 

other  end  of  the  catheter  in  his  mouth,  and  gradually  inflate  the 
bladder.  After  being  sufficiently  inflated  to  occupy  considerable 
space,  it  was  gently  pressed  forwards,  and  by  kneading  and  pres- 
sure on  the  external  tumor,  it  was  immediately  reduced.  On 
removing  the  finger  from  the  open  orifice  of  the  catheter,  which 
had  been  placed  there  to  keep  the  bladder  inflated,  the  latter 
collapsed,  and  was  shortly  after  withdrawn.  Pressure,  by  means 
of  pad  and  bandages,  was  kept  up  for  several  hours  ;  at  which 
time  the  patient  showing  signs  of  a  desire  to  dung,  the  bandages 
were  loosened  so  as  to  permit  elevation  of  the  tail.  Some 
fasces,  accompanying  the  fluid  which  was  thrown  into  the  rectum, 
came  away,  following  which  a  protrusion  of  the  gut.  This,  by  the 
aid  of  astringent  lotion  and  manipulation,  was  easily  returned 
The  animal  at  this  stage  was  left  in  charge  of  its  owner  for  the 
night,  who  was  instructed  not  to  let  him  lie  down,  and  to  return 
the  rectum  if  it  should  again  protrude. 

On  inquiring  next  morning,  the  attendant  informed  us  that 
the  patient  had  voided  fasces  twice,  and  that  the  gut  protruded 
each  time,  although  much  smaller  than  at  first,  and  more  readily 
reduced.  Our  own  observation,  at  a  later  period  in  the  day,  dis- 
covered that  the  tumefaction,  irritable  and  inflammatory  state  of 
the  parts,  had  subsided,  and  also  that  a  portion  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane had  sloughed  off,  and  the  muscular  coat  of  the  rectum 
was  perceptible ;  a  few  soft,  pulpy  lobules  of  mucous  membrane, 
of  a  gangrenous  aspect,  remained,  and  they  were  dressed  with 
pyroligneous  acid  and  pulverized  charcoal.  The  following  (anti- 
septic and  alterative)  was  given :  — 

Powdered  charcoal, 1  ounce, 

Fine  salt,  )    e       ,  , 

Sulphur,   \ ofeach' jounce. 

Stirred  in  a  mess  of  scalded  shorts. 

Bathing  the  anus  and  the  surrounding  parts  with  cold  water 
every  two  hours,  and  an  antiseptic  injection  at  night,  concludes 
the  second  day's  treatment.  The  patient  was  deprived,  from  the 
first,  of  all  food  except  a  small  quantity  of  fine  feed  slops,  the 
object  of  which  will  be  apparent  to  the  reader. 

Third  day,  the  bowels  were  soluble ;  evacuations,  however, 
scanty ;  pulse  and  respirations,  which  had  hitherto  been  disturbed, 
were  normal ;  no  prolapsus  since  yesterday. 


160  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Gave 

Pyroligneous  acid, 3  drachms, 

Thin  gruel 1  pint. 

Cold  water  bathings  were  continued.  This  comprises  about 
the  whole  of  the  treatment.  The  animal  gradually  returned  to  full 
diet,  and  from  exercise  to  work. 

Operation  for  Prolapsus  Ani.  —  In  the  event  of  failing  to 
return  the  engorged  gut  by  the  means  here  recommended,  and  the 
difficulty  increasing,  nothing  remains  but  to  operate  by  excision. 
Our  first  business  is,  to  secure  the  patient,  so  as  to  guard  the 
operator  from  personal  injury:  if  the  horse  is  of  gentle  disposition, 
a  side  line  and  twitch  may  suffice ;  but  if  he  proves  restive,  and 
seems  unwilling  to  have  the  parts  handled,  he  must  be  cast ;  it 
is  good  policy,  however,  not  to  cast  a  horse  unless  we  are  con- 
vinced that  it  is  our  only  resource.  The  instruments  needed  for 
the  operation  are,  a  common  scalpel,  tweezers,  scissors,  an  armed 
needle,  ligatures  of  saddler's  silk,  a  bucket  of  water,  and  sponge. 
The  tail  is  to  be  turned  upwards  and  forwards,  on  the  rump,  and 
there  held  by  an  assistant.  The  operator  then  dissects  the  en- 
gorged mucous  membrane  from  the  muscular  coat  of  the  rectum, 
taking  care  not  to  injure  the  latter. 

In  the  course  of  the  operation,  some  ramifications  from  the 
rectal  arteries  will  be  divided ;  the  sponge,  and  perhaps  the  water, 
may  now  be  needed,  to  wash  off  and  absorb  the  blood,  so  as  to 
enable  the  operator  to  see  and  take  up,  with  the  tweezers  or 
forceps,  the  bleeding  arteries ;  if  they  can  be  so  taken  up,  they 
are  to  be  secured  by  ligature ;  if  any  difficulty  is  experienced  in 
getting  hold  of  them,  pass  an  armed  curved  needle  partly  around 
the  bleeding  vessel,  including  some  of  the  mucous  tissue,  and  thus 
secure  it.  After  excising  the  parts,  wash  with  cold  water,  and 
ascertain  if  any  bleeding  vessels  remain  untied ;  being  all  secured, 
the  operation  is  completed.  Some  persons  dress  with  some  sort 
of  traumatic,  viz.,  tincture  of  myrrh,  &c. ;  but,  in  a  case  that 
occurred  lately,  we  used  nothing  but  cold  water,  throwing,  by 
means  of  a  syringe,  a  pint  into  the  rectum  morning  and  evening. 
The  patient  must  be  kept  on  a  light,  unirritating  diet,  and  have 
walking  exercise  as  often  as  convenient.  If  constipation  super- 
venes, give  a  dose  of  cream  of  tartar  and  sulphur.     Any  unhealthy 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  161 

appearance  about  the  interior  of  the  fundament,  or  fetid  discharge 
from  the  anus,  which  may  occasionally  happen  in  warm  weather, 
must  be  met  by  antiseptics :  diluted  acetic  acid,  pyroligneous 
acid,  solution  of  chloride  of  soda,  are  among  the  articles  best  cal- 
culated to  arrest  morbid  action. 

SCOURS  AND   CONSTIPATION   IN   YOUNG    COLTS. 

A  friend,  residing  in  the  Mohawk  valley,  informs  us  that  many 
young  colts  are  troubled  in  that  vicinity  with  scours  —  diarrhoea — 
after  they  become  a  week  old ;  and  that  others,  at  the  same  age, 
die  of  constipation.  As  the  disease,  in  all  probability,  is  not  pecu- 
liar to  that  region,  we  propose  to  give  the  reader  our  opinion  or. 
that  subject.  In  the  treatment  of  scours,  or  constipation,  occur- 
ring in  animals  of  tender  age,  too  much  attention  cannot  be  paid 
to  the  mother;  she,  having  just  passed  through  a  trying  ordeal, — 
the  period  of  gestation,  —  and  having  brought  forth  her  young, 
now  require's,  to  say  the  least,  what  might  be  commonly  termed 
a  little  kind  nursing.  It  is  a  common  element  in  the  nature  of 
mankind  to  sympathize  with  those  in  pain  or  distress,  and  our 
sympathies  should  at  all  times  extend  to  domestic  animals.  At 
no  time  has  the  female  greater  claims  on  us  than  at  the  very 
interesting  and  to  them  trying  period  of  parturition  ;  and  if  that 
care  be  bestowed  upon  them  which  their  condition  requires,  and 
which  they  are  entitled  to  at  the  hands  of  their  u  lord  and  mas- 
ter," many  maladies  which  are  of  daily  occurrence,  both  to  them- 
selves and  offspring,  might  possibly  be  prevented.  In  our  esti- 
mation, it  is  not  a  feature  of  good  husbandry,  to  say  the  least  of 
it,  to  turn  a  mare  out  to  grass,  or  elsewhere,  to  shift  for  herself, 
immediately  after  foaling,  particularly  after  she  has  been  sub- 
mitted to  all  the  evils  of  domestication ;  for  she  may  not  be  able, 
from  the  scantiness  of  the  provender,  to  obtain  sufficient  nourish- 
ment for  herself  and  offspring;  for  the  colt  must  now,  and, 
indeed,  until  it  be  able  to  masticate  food,  depend  altogether  on 
the  parent's  milk,  and  the  latter  cannot  furnish  it  in  sufficient 
quantities  unless  kept  on  generous  food.  It  is  pretty  hard  work 
for  a  mare  that  has  always  been  pampered  and  fed  on  highly 
nutritious  food  to  procure  enough  to  supply  her  own  and  the 
14* 


162  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

foal's  wants,  and  the  practice  has  been  very  appropriately  termed 
"  working  for  a  living."  We  should  have  no  hesitation,  provided 
the  mare,  having  passed  safely  through  the  parturient  process,  is 
now  doing  well,  in  recommending  that  she  be  turned,  for  a  few 
hours  daily,  into  a  good  wholesome  pasture ;  not,  however,  until 
twenty-four  hours  after  her  delivery.  When  taken  up  for  the 
night,  a  wide  stall,  good  bedding  of  clean  straw,  and  a  generous 
supply  of  her  usual  food,  should  be  assigned  her.  Mr.  Youatt 
directs  that,  "  As  soon  as  the  mare  has  foaled,  she  should  be  turned 
into  some  well-sheltered  pasture,  with  a  hovel  or  shed  to  run  into 
when  she  pleases;  and  if  the  grass  is  scanty,  she  should  have  a 
couple  of  feeds  of  corn  daily.  The  breeder  may  depend  upon  it, 
that  nothing  is  gained  by  starving  the  mother  and  stinting  the  foal 
at  this  time  ;  it  is  the  most  important  time  in  the  life  of  an  animal, 
and  if  from  false  economy  his  growth  be  now  arrested,  his  puny 
form  and  want  of  endurance  will  ever  afterwards  testify  the  error 
that  has  been  committed.  The  food  should  be  given  in  a  trough 
on  the  ground,  that  the  foal  may  partake  of  it  with  the  mother." 
White  also  recommends,  "  that  the  dam  should  be  well  fed." 

Now,  suppose  that,  in  consequence  of  a  want  of  attention  to 
these  and  other  particulars,  (all  forming  a  necessary  part  of  stable 
economy,)  the  mother  shall  be  the  subject  of  temporary  functional 
derangement ;  and  if  so,  the  foal  will  also  suffer  in  like  manner  ; 
for  the  mother  cannot  have  any  derangement  of  the  digestive 
function,  however  slight,  but  it  will  also  affect  the  nursling.* 


*  The  milk  of  a  woman  (and  we  may  add  that  of  a  horse,  to  a  certain  extent) 
differs,  — 

"  1.  In  Respect  to  Food.  —  The  milk  of  a  woman  who  suckles,  living  upon 
vegeto-animal  food,  never  acesces,  nor  coagulates  spontaneously,  although 
exposed  for  many  weeks  to  the  heat  of  a  furnace.  But  it  evaporates  gradually 
in  an  open  vessel,  and  the  last  drop  continues  thin,  sweet,  and  bland.  The 
reason  appears  to  be,  that  the  caseous  and  cremoraceous  parts  cohere  together 
by  means  of  the  sugar ;  hence  its  acescence  is  prevented.  It  does  acesce,  if 
mixed  or  boiled  with  vinegar,  juice  of  lemons,  supertartrate  of  potassa,  dilute 
sulphuric  acid,  or  with  the  human  stomach.  It  is  coagulated  by  the  acid  of  salt, 
or  nitre,  and  by  an  acid  gastric  juice  of  the  infant ;  for  infants  often  vomit  up 
the  coagulated  milk  of  the  nurse.  The  milk  of  a, suckling  woman  who  lives 
upon  vegetable  food  only,  like  cow's  milk,  easily  and  of  its  own  accord  acesces, 
and  is  acted  upon  by  all  coagulating  6ubstances  like  the  milk  of  animals. 

"  2.  In  Respect  to  the  Time  of  Digestion.  —  During  the  first  hours  of  digestion, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  ICo 

Hence  our  first  duty  is  to  attend  to  the  wants  of  the  mother  — 
establish  her  health  if  it  be  impaired  ;  then,  if  the  foal  has  scours, 
or  constipation,  we  may  set  about  obviating  the  difficulty  with 
some  chance  of  success :  even  then  it  is  not  always  good  policy 
to  administer  medicinal  agents  to  an  animal  of  a  few  hours' 
growth  ;  but  we  can,  with  safety,  provided  our  agents  are  sana- 
tive, use  them  on  the  mother,  and  thus  the  foal  will  have  the 
benefit  of  them  through  the  lacteal  secretion,  for  it  is  a  well 
established  fact  that  many  medicinal  agents  pass  into  the  living 
organism  unassimilated,  and  can  be  detected  in  the  various  secre- 
tions :   thus  the  color  of  the  cow's  milk  is  changed  when  that  ani- 

the  chyle  is  crude,  and  the  rnilk  less  subacid;  but  towards  the  twelfth  hour 
after  eating,  the  chyle  is  changed  into  blood,  and  then  the  milk  becomes  yel- 
lowish and  nauseating,  and  is  spit  out  by  the  infant.  Hence  the  best  time  for 
giving  suck  is  about  the  fourth  or  fifth  hour  after  meals. 

"  3.  In  Respect  to  the  Time  after  Delivery.  —  The  milk  secreted  immediately 
after  delivery  is  serous,  purges  the  bowels  of  the  infant,  and  is  called  colostrum. 
But  in  the  following  days  it  becomes  thicker  and  more  pure,  and  the  longer  a 
nurse  suckles,  the  thicker  the  milk  is  secreted. 

"  4.  In  Respect  to  Food  and  Medicines.  —  Thus,  if  a  nurse  eat  garlic,  the  milk 
becomes  highly  impregnated  with  its  odor,  and  is  disagreeable.  If  she  indulges 
too  freely  in  the  use  of  wine  or  beer,  the  infant  becomes  ill ;  from  giving  a  pur- 
ging medicine  to  a  nurse,  the  child  also  is  purged ;  and,  lastly,  children  afflicted 
with  torpor  of  the  bowels,  arising  from  acids,  are  often  cured  by  giving  the 
nurse  animal  food. 

"5.  In  Respect  to  the  Affections  of  the  Mind. — There  are  frequent  examples 
of  infants  being  seized  with  convulsions,  from  suckling  mothers  irritated  by 
anger.  An  infant  of  one  year  old,  while  he  sucked  milk  from  his  enraged 
mother,  on  a  sudden  was  seized  with  a  fatal  hemorrhage,  and  died.  Infants  at 
the  breast,  in  a  short  time,  pine  away  if  the  nurse  be  afflicted  with  grievous 
care  ;  and  there  are  also  infants  who,  after  every  coition  of  the  mother,  or  even 
if  she  menstruate,  are  taken  ill." 

The  use  of  the  mother's  milk  is,  — 

"  1.  It  affords  the  natural  aliment  to  the  new-born  infant,  as  milk  differs  little 
from  chyle.  Those  children  are  the  strongest  who  are  nourished  longest  with 
the  mother's  milk.     [This  ice  doubt.'] 

"2.  The  colostrum  should  not  be  rejected,  for  it  relaxes  the  bowels,  which  in 
new-born  infants  ought  to  be  open  to  clear  out  the  meconium.* 

"  3.  Lactation  defends  the  mother  from  a  dangerous  reflux  of  the  milk  into 
the  blood,  whence  lacteal  metastasis  and  leticorrhasa  are  so  frequent." 

*  Meconium  ;  the  green  excremenliticus  substance  that  is  found  in  the  large  intestine  of 
the  foetus  in  lying-in  women,  who  do  not  give  suck.  The  motion  of  the  milk  also,  being 
hastened  through  the  breasts  by  the  sucking  of  the  child,  prevents  the  very  common  indu- 
ration which  arises  in  consequence  of  the  milk  being  stagnated.  —  Hooper. 


164  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

mal  is  fed  on  beets ;  when  fed  on  garlic,  its  odor  can  be  detected 
in  that  fluid;  and  every  farmer  knows  that  turnips  impart  their 
own  taste  to  it  also.  Stock  raisers  might  learn  a  lesson  from 
nurses  who  attend  human  parturients  ;  they  give  the  old-fashioned 
dose  of  castor  oil  understanding!/,  knowing  from  long  experience 
that  it  operates  both  on  the  mother  and  child.  Hence,  if  the  foal 
shall  suffer  from  constipated  bowels,  and  the  mother  be  in  the 
same  condition,  the  medicine  should  be  given  to  the  latter :  thus 
many  young  animals  might  be  saved ;  that  they  do  die  from  the 
effect  of  drastic  purges  we  know,  and  our  correspondent  testifies 
to  the  fact,  for  he  says,  "  Some  have  constipation,  and  are  often 
killed  by  forcing  salts  down  them."  It  must  be  evident  that  salts 
and  aloes  are  not  the  best  remedies  in  the  world  for  colts  but  "  a 
few  days  or  a  week  old."  A  human  practitioner  who  could  be  so 
reckless  as  to  administer  like  remedies  to  the  new-born  infant, 
would  certainly  be  censured,  and  run  a  great  risk  of  losing  his 
patient.  The  milk  of  the  mother,  immediately  after  parturition, 
is  the  best  kind  of  medicine  to  regulate  the  secretions  and  excre- 
tions of  the  offspring,  and  it  generally  has  the  desired  effect, 
unless,  as  we  have  said,  the  mother  is  ailing.  There  may,  how- 
ever, be  cases  where,  in  consequence  of  exposure,  the  foal  may 
have  diarrhoea ;  then  the  little  subject  becomes  an  object  of 
special  attention,  as  regards  his  management.  He  must  be  placed 
in  a  warm  situation,  with  a  view  of  restoring  the  exhalant  func- 
tion of  the  skin,  for  until  this  is  restored  there  is  but  little  chance 
for  recovery.  Having  taken  these  preliminary  steps,  perhaps  all 
that  will  now  be  needed  for  the  cure  is  some  warm  ginger,  or 
caraway  tea;  and  a  little  of  either  of  these  simple  articles,  pul- 
verized, may,  with  advantage,  be  given  to  the  mother  in  her  food. 
If  the  latter  be  the  subject  of  scours  ■ —  diarrhoea  —  then  our  chief 
attention  is  turned  to  her ;  we  administer  such  medicinal  agents 
as  the  nature  of  the  case  seems  to  require;  at  the  same  time,  if 
the  patient  is  fat,  and  has  not  had  sufficient  exercise  previous  to 
parturition,  we  are  not  to  be  in  a  hurry  to  stop  the  discharge,  but 
merely  to  hold  it  in  check.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  our  patient  is 
in  poor  condition,  and  still  losing  flesh,  then,  in  addition  to  medi- 
cinal agents,  which  should  be  of  tonic  and  astringent  properties, 
we  give  freely  of  gruel  made  of  wheat  flour.     Under  these  cir- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  165 

cumstances,  and  as  long  as  the  scours  continue,  the  foal  should 
not  depend  altogether  on  its  dam  for  sustenance,  but  might  have 
a  daily  allowance  of  boiled  cow's  milk,  cooled  to  about  the  tem- 
perature of  milk  when  drawn.  Hay  tea,  to  which  a  small  quan- 
tity of  cow's  milk  may  be  added,  is  an  excellent  drink  for  the 
young  foal  in  the  absence  of  its  mother's  milk.  Try  it,  reader, 
on  your  calves,  also,  if  you  have  occasion. 

As  regards  costiveness,  green  food  and  scalded  shorts  are  the 
antidotes,  and  the  mother  will  partake  of  either  with  relish ;  some 
of  the  former,  if  the  season  permits,  should  be  cut  and  placed 
before  her  soon  after  labor.  If  the  articles  fail  to  have  the  de- 
sired effect,  a  dose  of  aperient  medicine  —  castor  oil,  or  salts  — 
should  be  given,  followed  by  thin  gruel ;  in  this  way  both  dam 
and  foal  may  be  cured. 

Astringent  drink  for  colts  :  — 

Angelica  root, 1  ounce, 

Cranesbill, 2  ounces, 

Bayberry  bark, ^  ounce, 

African  ginger, |  ounce. 

Pour  on  the  above  ingredients  two  quarts  of  boiling  water ;  set 
them  aside  for  a  few  hours. 

Dose.  —  Half  a  pint  every  four  hours  until  the  disease  is 
checked.  If  the  discharges  are  fetid,  add  to  each  dose  half  a 
table-spoonful  of  finely-pulverized  charcoal,  and  if  the  foal  be 
weak  and  in  poor  condition,  allow  it  hay  tea,  thickened  with  oat- 
meal. 

Probably  the  safest  laxative  for  young  calves,  suffering  from 
constipation,  is  sulphur  and  cream  of  tartar,  of  each  a  tea-spoon- 
ful in  molasses.  Laxative  enemata  should,  if  necessary,  be  ad- 
ministered. 

INDIGESTION. 

This  is  the  great  national  disease  of  the  United  States  ;  both 
men  and  horses  are  alike  its  victims  ;  it  lies  at  the  bottom  of 
almost  every  disease  to  which  both  are  subject,  consumption  not 
excepted.  The  horse  shows  it  by  an  unthrifty  condition,  and 
dry,  pen-feathered  coat ;  his  body  shrivels  and  contracts  after 
the  fashion  of  that  of  a  smoked  herring ;  he  has  a  dry-sounding, 
hard  cough,  mostly  noticed  after  meals,  especially  when  he  has 


1GG  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

just  made  a  hearty  one  on  foul  litter,  which  he  is  very  apt  to  do; 
at  other  times,  however,  he  is  very  fastidious,  and,  like  his  mas- 
ter when  suffering  from  the  same  disease,  will  search  for  some- 
thing nice ;  failing  to  find  it,  the  subject  has  no  objection  to  a 
little  dirt,  sand,  plaster,  or  a  small  piece  of  brick,  which  he  mas- 
ticates with  considerable  relish.  The  deranged  state  of  the 
digestive  organs  is  generally  indicated  by  an  intolerable  fcetor  of 
breath ;  the  excrement,  too,  has  the  same  unpleasant  smell,  and 
is  very  variable  in  color  and  consistence,  often  hard  and  covered 
with  slime  ;  at  other  times  soft,  when  the  presence  of  intestinal 
parasites  can  be  detected.  The  urine  is  scanty,  and  either  col- 
ored or  thickened  with  foreign  material ;  in  fact,  both  the  func- 
tions of  excretion  and  secretion  are  impaired.  The  animal  is 
generally  cross  and  irritable,  and  leaves  the  stable,  at  working 
time,  very  unwillingly ;  he  requires  considerable  urging  while 
travelling,  and,  of  course,  is  incapacitated  to  perform  his  usual 
work.  These  are  the  main  symptoms  of  indigestion ;  they  are 
not  noticeable  at  first,  but  gradually  arrive  at  this  state,  increasing 
in  intensity,  diminishing,  or  running  into  other  affections,  accord- 
ing to  circumstances.  Acute  indigestion  is  apt  to  terminate  in 
acute  diseases  of  a  different  character,  and  the  chronic  form  in 
diseases  of  a  chronic  type.  For  treatment  of  acute  indigestion, 
see  Gastritis. 

Causes.  —  The  causes  of  indigestion  are  numerous  :  too  little 
or  too  much  of  food,  water,  or  work  ;  bad  ventilation  ;  exposure ; 
poisons ;  damaged  or  highly  nutritious  food ;  working  the  ani- 
mal on  a  full  stomach,  —  are  all  operative  in  producing  indiges- 
tion in  its  acute  or  chronic  forms. 

Treatment.  —  In  treating  cases  of  disordered  digestive  organs, 
we  first  remove,  if  possible,  the  cause.  In  view  of  ascertaining 
that,  wTe  inquire  into  the  history  of  the  patient,  and  ascertain  in 
what  way  the  laws  of  his  existence  have  been  violated,  and  if 
successful,  we  apply  the  "remedy,  or  remove  the  cause.  It  is 
impossible  to  lay  down  rules  as  to  the  quantity  of  food  required 
by  a  horse,  because  his  health  and  life  are  subject  to  various 
modifications,  under  a  variety  of  circumstances  ;  therefore  it  is 
folly  to  say  how  much  this  or  that  animal  shall  have,  for  the 
quantity  suitable  for  one  may  be  insufficient  for  the  other,  and 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  167 

vice  versa.  The  amount  of  exercise,  kind  of  work,  and  con- 
dition of  the  animal,  are  the  modifying  circumstances  which  are 
to  be  taken  into  account,  ere  we  can  form  any  idea  of  the  amount 
of  food  required.  A  foul  feeder  should,  in  the  intervals  between 
meals,  be  muzzled,  or  the  bedding  must  be  taken  away.  If  the 
animal  has  been  fed  on  dry  food,  let  him  have  a  mixture  of 
boiled  oats,  shorts,  and  carrots,  well  seasoned  with  salt,  to  which 
add  daily  half  a  table-spoonful  of  white  mustard  seed.  We  have 
used  brandy  and  salt,  with  very  good  effect,  in  several  cases  of 
this  kind  —  one  pint  of  pale  brandy  to  four  ounces  of  fine  salt; 
dose,  a  wine  glass,  in  oatmeal  gruel,  night  and  morning,  just  be- 
fore meals.  A  sufficient  quantity  of  good  hay  will  be  needed,  in 
order  to  distend  the  stomach  to  its  healthy  calibre,  yet  the  ani- 
mal must  not  be  permitted  to  spend  half  his  time  eating;  for 
the  digestive  organs  require  regular  periods  of  rest,  just  as  other 
parts  of  the  system  do.  Attention  must  also  be  paid  to  the  water 
which  the  animal  drinks :  if  it  be  inconvenient  to  substitute  a 
different  kind,  throw  a  handful  of  pulverized  charcoal,  daily,  into 
the  water  trough  ,  this  will  improve  the  very  worst  kind,  and 
render  it  innoxious  and  palatable. 

In  view  of  acting  on  the  system  at  large,  and  improving  the 
general  health,  take 

Sirup  of  garlic, 2  ounces, 

Tincture  of  ginger, 2  drachms, 

Compound  tincture  of  aloes  and  myrrh,  3  drachms, 

Tincture  of  muriate  of  iron,      ....  1  drachm. 

Mix;  to  be  given  occasionally  in  oatmeal  gruel.  Or,  if  it  be 
more  convenient,  substitute  the  following  :  — 

Powdered  assafcetida, 1  ounce, 

"         ginger, 2  ounces, 

"         sulphate  of  iron, 5  drachms, 

"         goldenseal, 1  ounce, 

"         poplar  bark, 2  ounces, 

"         capsicum, 1  drachm,     - 

Oatmeal, 1  pound. 

Divide  the  mass  into  sixteen  doses ;  one  to  be  given,  in  food, 
every  night. 


168  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  LIVER. 

JAUNDICE.  —(Icterus.) 

Definition.  —  A  yellow  discoloration  of  the  tissues,  caused  by 
an  interrupted  excretion  of  bile. 

On  making  post  mortem  examination  of  animals  having  been 
the  subjects  of  this  disease,  we  find  the  yellow  tinge  pervading 
every  part  of  the  organization.  It  is  diffused  through  the  whole 
of  the  muscular,  fatty,  cartilaginous,  cellular,  bony  structures, 
and  has  also  been  detected  in  the  brain. 

Mr.  Percivall  considers  "jaundice  to  be  an  unfrequent  disease 
among  horses ;  and  one  reason  appears  self-evident,  as  soon  as 
we  are  put  in  possession  of  a  knowledge  of  the  causes  from  which 
it  may  proceed.  I  mentioned  swelling  or  compression  of  the 
hepatic  duct  as  one,  in  speaking  of  it  as  a  symptom  of  hepatitis  ;  * 
and  probably  this  is  the  most  common  one.  In  the  human  sub- 
ject, it  frequently  arises  from  obstruction  of  the  ducts,  either 
from  collected  or  concreted  bile  in  them,  to  which  the  name  of 
biliary  calculi  is  given  ;  or  it  may  be  the  effect  of  spasm  in  the 
ducts,  or  in  that  part  of  the  duodenum  f  where  they  terminate ; 
but  I  am  not  aware  that  cases  of  this  kind  have  occurred  in 
veterinary  practice  ;  and  one  reason,  I  repeat,  is  obvious.  The 
horse  has  but  a  single  duct,  through  which  the  bile  flows  as  fast 
as  it  is  secreted ;  it  has  no  retrograde  course  to  take,  no  recepta- 
cle to  collect  in  and  to  concrete  into  gall  stones ;  and,  as  a  proof 
that  this  is  one  reason,  dogs,  and  such  other  of  our  domestic 
quadrupeds  as  have  gall  bladders,  are  all  of  them  much  oftener 
jaundiced  than  horses.  People  who  lead  sedentary  lives,  such  as 
corpulent  subjects  and  women,  are  predisposed  to  jaundice ;  in 
them  the  bile  often  grows  inspissated  %  in  its  ducts,  and  biliary 
calculi  are  now  and  then  detected  in  the  stools  :  this  is  a  cause 


*  Inflammation  of  the  liver. 

t  The  first  portion  of  the  intestines ;  sometimes  called  the  second  stomach. 
In  cattle  it  is  known  as  the  fourth  stomach. 
1  Thickened. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  169 

of  disorder,  as  I  have  said  before,  that  we  can  but  rarely  adduce 
in  veterinary  practice. 

"  Jaundice,  produced  from  whatever  cause  it  may  be,  consists 
in  the  absorption  of  unchanged  bile  into  the  circulation,  which  bile 
becomes  diffused  and  conveyed  to  every  part,  giving  rise  to  those 
appearances  that  are  so  remarkably  characteristic  of  its  presence. 
It  does  not  appear  to  originate  either  in  defective  or  altered 
secretion ;  for,  had  not  the  liver  done  its  office,  how  could  we 
explain  the  appearance  of  bile  in  the  system  at  all  ? 

"  The  yellow  aspect  that  jaundice  gives  to  the  skin,  the  mouth, 
and  the  eyes,  at  once  betrays  its  presence.  The  skin  is  every 
where  dyed  yellow,  though  the  change  is  only  visible  to  us  in 
places  bare  of  hair.  The  membrane  of  the  mouth  puts  on  the 
same  appearance.  The  conjunctiva  (the  membrane  lining  the 
eyelids)  has  a  yellowish-pink  hue,  the  cornea  is  obscured,  a  yel- 
low sediment  may  often  be  perceived  floating  in  the  anterior 
chamber,  and  the  iris  itself  is  tinged  in  places  with  this  yellow 
dye.  The  bowels  are  costive ;  the  excrement  that  is  voided  is 
hard,  buttony,  and  dark-colored,  besmeared  often  with  a  yellow, 
slimy  matter,  like  b'ile  diffused  in  mucus,  and  consists  of  dryish 
masses  of  ill-digested  aliment.  The  urine  is  a  deep-yellow  or 
orange  color,  and  is  sparing  in  quantity.  In  the  human  subject, 
the  absorption  of  bile  into  the  system  often  generates  considera- 
ble disorder,  operates,  in  fact,  like  so  much  poisonous  matter, 
exciting  an  itching  sensation  of  the  skin,  and  depressing  the 
strength  and  spirits  of  the  patient ;  and  the  latter  of  these  effects 
is  often  very  remarkable  in  jaundiced  horses.  The  eyelids  are 
drooping  or  closed;  the  head  hangs  down;  there  is  evident 
sinking  both  of  strength  and  spirits*,  and  often  there  is  a  degree 
of  moping  stupor  present,  which,  at  times,  borders  on  vertigo, 
so  that  the  animal  walks  unsteadily,  or  reels  as  he  mo^es  ;  his 
pulse  is  about  60  or  65 ;  his  respiration  is  unaffected,  and  his 
flank  untucked  up. 

"  In  the  treatment  of  jaundice,  our  sheet  anchor  is  purging. 
No  time  should  be  lost  in  exhibiting  ten  or  twelve  drachms  of 
aloes ;  *    and,  if  we    can   insure   the   administration   of  it,  the  # 


*  The  dose  is  too  large. 
15 


170  THE    MODKRX    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

decoction  is  preferable  to  a  bolus.  If  there  was  much  stupor  or 
vertigo  present,  I  would  bleed,  but  not  largely.  I  would  follow 
up  the  first  dose  of  aloes  with  half  an  ounce  in  solution  every 
twelve  hour*  until  purgation  came  on  ;  we  need  be  under  no  ap- 
prehensions of  super-purgation  *  in  these  cases.  As  soon  as  the 
bowels  are  freely  opened,  apply  a  blister  to  the  right  side,  and 
repeat  it  every  twelve  hours. t  It  may  be  necessary  to  recur  to 
the  venesection. 

"  Now  and  then  jaundice  terminates  fatally,  and  when  it  does  so, 
the  event  is  commonly  sudden  ;  probably  some  time  has  elapsed 
before  we  are  called  in ;  the  bowels  resist  our  first  dose  of  medi- 
cine ;  in  the  mean  time  the  pulse  rises  in  spite  of  our  recurrence 
to  the  use  of  the  lancet ;  the  skin  and  extreme  parts  become 
cold;  the  animal  grows  senseless,  and  perhaps  vertiginous, 'and 
in  that  state  suddenly  drops  and  expires.  On  dissection,  the 
liver  is  found  glutted  with  bile.  I  found  the  gland  so  prodigiously 
distended  in  one  case  that  the  right  lobe  of  it  had  burst,  and  dis- 
played a  considerable  fissure. 

"  Now  and  then  we  hear  of  cases  of  rupture  of  the  liver.  I 
have  never  been  present  but  at  the  one  mentioned  above, 
myself,  but  I   am  told  that   large,   heavy,   draught   horses  are 

*  Excessive  evacuation. 

f  Humanity  calls  upon  us  to  dispense  with  blistering  if  it  can  possibly  be 
done.  There  is  no  necessity  for  resorting  to  such  cruel  means  :  when  counter- 
irritation  is  really  needed  —  and  we  doubt  if,  under  the  circumstances,  it  could 
accomplish  any  good  —  there  are  a  number  of  agents  that  we  can  safely  rely  on 
to  fulfil  that  indication,  without  putting  the  animal  to  so  great  pain. 

The  only  method  of  getting  rid  of  the  bile,  diffused  in  the  system,  at  the 
same  time  favoring  its  passage  into  the  duodenum,  and  palliating  all  urgent 
symptoms,  consists  in  regulating  the  various  secretions  :  this  can  only  be  done 
on  general  principles,  for  the  disease  is  not  only  manifest  on  the  surfaces,  but 
also  in  the  serum  of  the  blood,  in  the  urine  and  excretions  generally,  and  in 
nearly  all  the  tissues  of  the  body.  Suppose  jaundice  results  from  indigestion ; 
will  a  blister  restore  the  integrity  of  the  stomach  ? 

The  coloring  matter,  and  other  constituents  of  the  bile,  are  known  to  exist 
originally  in  the  blood ;  and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  it  may  there  accu- 
mulate, producing  a  radical  alteration  of  the  latter  fluid,  a  poisoning,  as  it  has 
been  called.     Do  blisters  purify  the  blood  ? 

Then,  again,  if  jaundice  shall  originate  from  an  engorgement  of  bile,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  closure  of  the  outlets  in  the  liver,  —  or  the  destruction  of  its 
secreting  cells,  —  in  either  case  a  blister  is  the  very  last  thing  we  should  think 
of  resorting  to,  much  less  repeat  U  every  twelve  hours. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  171 

more  particularly  liable  to  the  accident,  and  that  it  happens  in 
the  violent  efforts  they  are  compelled  to  make  in  drawing  heavy 
loads." 

Should  the  bowels  be  freely  opened,  we  think  that  both  blister 
and  venesection  might  be  dispensed  with,  for  human  practitioners 
have  found  it  advisable,  in  treating  disease  of  this  character,  t'> 
dispense  with  both. 

Case  of  Jaundice.-—  November  2,  1851.  —  Visited  a  dapple 
gray  gelding,  the  property  of  Mr.  C.  Found  the  animal  standing 
in  the  stall  with  his  head  hanging  below  the  crib ;  his  position 
that  of  a  weak  (apparently  lazy)  horse ;  pulse  58,  respirations 
17  ;  eyelids  partly  closed;  on  raising  which,  the  membranes  pre- 
sented a  yellow  cast ;  the  same  was  observed  in  the  mucous  sur- 
faces of  the  mouth.  We  were  told  that  the  urine  was  of  a 
dark-yellow  color ;  the  excrement  dark,  slimy,  and  hard.  Com- 
menced the  treatment  by  giving 

Powdered  mandrake,  {podophyllum  peltatwn,)    .    4  drachms, 

Castile  soap,  in  shavings, 2  drachms, 

Cream  of  tartar, 2  drachms, 

Powdered  ginger, 1  drachm, 

Extract  thoroughwort .2  drachms, 

Water, 1  quart. 

Two  quarts  of  weak  soap  suds  were  now  thrown  into  the 
rectum,  which  brought  away  a  moderate  quantity  of  fetid 
dung. 

As  the  animal  appeared  to  be  in  very  fair  condition,  directions 
were  given  to  keep  him  on  a  light  diet  of  scalded  shorts. 

November  3.  —  The  horse  is  in  much  the  same  condition  as 
yesterday;  the  medicine,  however,  has  operated.  He  has  par- 
taken of  a  very  small  portion  of  the  mashes  ;  has  eaten  some  hay, 
and  drank,  at  various  times,  about  three  gallons  of  water.  Gave 
the  following  in  one  quart  of  warm  water :  — 

Carbonate  of  soda, 2  drachms, 

Powdered  goldenseal, 3  drachms, 

"         mandrake, 1  drachm, 

"         poplar  bark, 2  drachms. 

The  mash  to  be  continued,  and  a  few  carrots  to  be  thrown  into 
the  crib. 

November  4.  —  The  animal  is  apparently  better  ;  his  motions 
are  more  lively ;  appetite  slightly  improved  ;  bowels  relaxed ; 


172  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

urine  more  abundant,  yet  of  a  yellow  cast ;  the  mucous  surfaces 
still  tinged  yellow ;  the  pulse  and  respirations  have  not  varied 
much  from  the  commencement.  As  the  bowels  appeared  to  be 
sufficiently  relaxed,  the  mandrake  and  soda  were  omitted,  and  the 
following  tonic  draught  administered  :  — 

Goldenseal, 2  drachms, 

Extract  thorougliwort, 1  drachm. 

Diet  —  the  shorts  to  be  mixed  with  an  equal  part  of  meal,  and 
a  small  quantity  of  hay  allowed. 

November  5.  —  The  animal  has  improved  some  since  yester- 
day ;  is  more  lively  and  willing  to  move ;  the  appetite  is  return- 
ing, and  he  has  partaken  of  food  with  good  relish ;  the  excre- 
ment appears  more  natural,  yet  has  a  glossy  appearance  on 
its  surface.  We  had  no  opportunity  of  observing  the  color  of  the 
urine,  but  were  told  that  "  it  looked  well."  The  yellow  tinge  has 
almost  disappeared  from  the  membranes  of  the  mouth  and  eye  ; 
the  latter  is  quite  bright.     Ordered  the  following  :  — 

Powdered  goldenseal 4  drachms, 

"  mandrake, 4  drachms, 

"         ginger, 4  drachms. 

Which  was  divided  into  eight  parts,  one  to  be  given  in  the  feed 
twice  a  day ;  the  animal  to  be  well  groomed,  and  have  walking 
exercise  in  the  open  air. 

Saw  the  horse  again  on  the  7th.  The  case  had  now  assumed 
a  favorable  aspect ;  scarcely  a  trace  of  the  yellow  tint  was  to  be 
seen.  We  gave  directions  to  continue  the  powders,  the  horse  to 
be  regularly  exercised,  and  return  to  his  accustomed  diet.  This 
is  the  last  we  saw  of  the  animal;  but  learned  that  he  was  taken 
out  of  the  city  the  next  day,  and  soon  put  to  work. 

This  disease  was  probably  induced  by  over  feeding  on  cracked 
corn  and  oats,  which  produced  irritation  of  the  stomach  and  intes- 
tines, and  the  liver  became  diseased  purely  by  sympathy  with  those 
parts 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   LIVER.  —  (Hepatitis.) 

The  parenchyma,  (cellular  substance  which  connects  the  body 
of  the  liver  together,)  and  serous  surface  of  the  liver,  are  occasion- 
ally the  seat  of  increased  vascular  action ;    rather  unfrequent, 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  173 

however,  in  horses :  they  seem  to  enjoy,  to  a  certain  extent,  im- 
munity from  a  disease  which  appears  to  have  a  greater  affinity  for 
the  livers  of  their  masters;  or  else  we  have  not  been  smart 
enough  to  detect  it  in  our  patients,  having  noticed  but  a  few  iso- 
lated cases.  The  most  of  the  symptoms  noticed  in  this  affection 
do  not  differ  materially  from  those  noticed  in  jaundice ;  other 
local  signs  are  required,  howrever,  to  make  out  a  case  of  acute 
hepatitis ;  these  are,  pain  in  the  hepatic  region,  extending  to  the 
right  shoulder,  so  that  the  patient  is  lame  in  the  off  limb,  unsteady 
in  his  gait,  and  evinces  signs  of  pain  on  our  pressing  in  the  above 
region.  The  pulse  is  strong,  skin  hot  and  dry,  slight  cough,  loss 
of  appetite,  and  dull,  sleepy  look.  For  consecutive  symptoms  and 
treatment,  see  Jaundice. 

When  the  disease  is  located  in  the  serous  covering  of  the  liver, 
it  is  called  hepato-peritonitis.  The  treatment  does  not  differ 
from  that  for  the  preceding  disease. 

Softening,  condensation,  and  tubercles  are  the  result,  in  some 
cases,  of  a  chronic  form  of  hepatitis  ;  for  the  demonstration  of 
these  states  during  the  subject's  life  our  diagnosis  is  all  at  fault, 
and  therefore  it  is  useless  to  write  any  thing  about  the  treatment, 
other  than  to  inform  the  reader  that  the  author's  remedies  for  the 
cure  of  diseases  of  the  liver  are,  mandrake,*  soap,  and  carbonate 
of  soda. 

*  Medical  Properties  of  Podophyllum,  (Manarake.)  —  Podophyllum,  when 
administered  to  man,  is  an  active  and  certain  cathartic,  producing  copious 
liquid  discharges,  without  much  griping  or  other  unpleasant  effect.  Its  opera- 
tion resembles  that  of  jalap,  but  is  rather  slower,  and  is  thought  by  some  to  be 
more  drastic.  It  is  applicable  to  inflammatory  affections,  which  require  brisk 
purging.  The  common  names  by  which  this  plant  is  known  are  May  apple, 
mandrake,  &c.     It  grows  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States. 

From  our  own  experience  in  the  use  of  the  article,  we  can  safely  recommend 
it  as  an  efficient  cathartic ;  very  permanent  in  its  operation,  generally  leav- 
ing the  bowels  in  a  soluble  condition.  It  seems  to  have  a  peculiar  action 
on  the  liver,  and  when  given  to  a  horse,  in  repeated  doses  of  from  one  to  two 
drachms,  every  twelve  hours,  operates  in  the  same  manner  as  when  calomel  is 
prescribed;  though  less  liable  to  do  harm,  in  the  hands  of  the  inexperienced, 
than  the  latter  article.  In  this  view,  we  term  mandrake  "  the  calomel  of  the 
physopathist."  Its  range  of  application,  however,  is  more  extensive  than  that 
of  calomel.  It  may  be  used  as  a  substitute  for  aloes,  whenever  an  active 
cathartic  is  indicated,  in  doses  of  from  four  to  seven  drachms,  in  the  form  of 
drench.     We  have  frequently  used  it  as  an  aperient,  in  inflammation  of  the 

15  * 


171  THE    MODERN    nORSE    DOCTOR. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  EYE  AND  ITS  MEMBRANES. 

INFLAMMATION   OF  THE  EYE.  —  {Ophthalmia.) 

Ophthalmia  is  a  disease  so  familiar  to  every  one,  that  a  de- 
scription of  it  seems  unnecessary.  Its  seat  is  in  the  membrane 
which  lines  the  inside  of  the  eyelids  and  covers  the  white  of  the 
eye ;  its  diagnostic  symptom  is  vascular  congestion.  When  seen 
and  treated  in  the  early  stage,  it  generally  yields  to  very  simple 
treatment ;  if,  however,  it  advance  beyond  the  primary  stage, 
structural  and  functional  alteration  takes  place.  A  simple  in- 
flamed eye,  to  some  persons,  does  not  appear  of  much  account ; 
yet  the  author  would  inform  such,  that  from  this  primary  form  of 
disease  others  of  a  more  alarming  nature  supervene. 

As  prevention  is  much  cheaper  than  cure,  it  must  be  obvious 
that  it  is  of  great  importance  to  practise  that  system  of  manage- 
ment, with  respect  to  feeding,  exercise,  cleanliness,  and  ventila- 
tion, which  is  most  likely  to  prevent  ophthalmia.  When  horses 
are  put  to  regular  daily  work,  their  health  will  be  best  maintained 
by  feeding  them  regularly  three  times  a  day  with  a  mixed  diet, 
composed  of  bruised  oats,  shorts,  meal,  cracked  corn,  and  cut  hay. 
These  should  be  allowed  in  sufficient  quantity,  and  no  more ;  for 
too  much  food  must  impair  the  digestive  organs  and  derange  the 
general  health. 

As  regards  exercise,  it  is  indispensable.  No  man  or  horse  can 
ever  enjoy  good  health  unless  habituated  to  daily  exercise ;  it 
tends  towards  their  health  and  strength,  assists  and  promotes  a 
free  circulation  of  the  blood,  determines  morbific  matter  to  the 


lungs  and  bowels,  in  doses  of  two  drachms,  repeated  as  occasion  seemed  to 
require.  With  a  view  of  preventing  its  local  action  on  the  mucous  surfaces,  in 
the  latter  diseases',  we  always  give  it  in  a  thin  mucilage  of  slippery  elm.  If  an 
alterative  is  indicated,  we  prescribe  it  combined  with  equal  parts  of  goldenseal, 
from  one  to  two  drachms  of  each,  daily.  "We  could  say  a  great  deal  more  in 
proof  of  its  extensive  therapeutic  power,  but  refrain,  in  hopes  that  some  of  our 
professional  brethren  will  give  it  a  trial.  We  are  not  aware  that  it  has  ever 
been  used  in  veterinary  practice  until  of  late.  The  therapeutic  (curative)  prop- 
erties of  podophyllum  are  dependent  on  the  presence  of  a  principle  called 
podophyllin. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  175 

various  outlets,  develops  the  muscular  powers,  creates  a  natural 
appetite,  improves  the  wind,  and  finally  invigorates  the  whole 
system.  The  exhaustion  produced  by  want  of  rest  is  equally 
dangerous  ;  such  horses,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  are  always 
among  the  first  victims,  and  when  attacked  their  recovery  is 
generally  protracted. 

As  regards  cleanliness,  the  brush  and  curry-comb  should  be 
used  morning  and  evening ;  the  latter,  however,  must  be  dispensed 
with  when  the"  horse  is  laboring  under  any  form  of  cutaneous 
disease,  at  least  while  in  its  acute  stage.  Good  rubbing  promotes 
the  circulation  of  blood  through  the  capillary  vessels,  acts  as  a 
counter  irritant,  and  relieves  congestions.  Many  of  the  diseases 
to  which  horses  are  subject,  more  particularly  those  of  the  ali- 
mentary canal,  have  their  origin  in  a  filthy  skin.  We  are  decid- 
edly opposed  to  the  use  of  the  curry-comb  with  a  view  of  divesting 
the  horse's  legs  of  mud  and  filth,  for  the  parts  below  the  knee  and 
hock  are  destitute  of  fleshy  fibre ;  from  which  circumstance  the 
periosteum,  enveloping  the  bone,  is  more  exposed  to  violence 
from  the  teeth  and  edges  of  the  curry-comb.  If  a  horse  comes 
from  his  work  covered  with  mud,  the  better  plan  would  be  to 
detach  it,  when  dry,  with  a  wisp  of  straw,  after  which  a  good 
stiff*  brush  will  put  on  the  polish. 

The  admission  of  light  into  stables,  being  a  subject  next  in 
importance  to  the  former,  deserves  a  passing  notice.  Nothing  is 
so  detrimental  to  the  eyes  as  sudden  transitions  from  comparative 
darkness  to  a  glaring  light ;  and  probably  many  of  our  readers 
have,  at  some  time,  experienced  the  very  unpleasant  sensation 
of  mingled  pain  and  giddiness,  which  is  not  readily  dismissed,  after 
emerging  from  a  dark  room,  and  suddenly  coming  in  contact  with 
the  glaring  rays  of  the  sun  ;  and  if  they  have,  they  know  how  to 
sympathize  with  a  poor  horse. 

Treatment.  —  As  soon  as  the  inflammatory  symptoms  make 
their  appearance,  the  patient  should  be  placed  in  a  situation  where 
he  shall  be  free  from  annoyance  of  every  kind.  A  cool  shed, 
rather  darkened,  will  be  the  most  desirable  place ;  a  very  light 
diet  of  scalded  shorts,  or  gruel,  will  be  all  the  patient  needs,  until 
the  inflammatory  symptoms  somewhat  abate. 

We  commence  the  treatment  by  administering  an  active  or 


176  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

mild  cathartic,  as  the  case  may  seem  to  require  :  thus,  if  the 
bowels  are  soluble,  a  mild  dose  is  indicated,  consisting  of 

Powdered  Socotrine  aloes,  ....     3  drachms, 

"         gentian, 2  drachms, 

"         cream  of  tartar,  ....     1  drachm. 

Mix  with  honey  for  a  ball,  or  with  warm  water  for  a  drench. 

Should  the  dung  appear  hard,  covered  with  slime,  or  even 
dark-colored,  the  following  must  be  given :  — 

Aloes, 5  drachms, 

Gentian, 2  drachms. 

Mix  as  above. 

We  do  not  wish  the  reader  to  suppose  that  in  all  cases  of  this 
complaint  a  cathartic  is  absolutely  necessary;  for  in  some 
instances  a  foreign  body  may  have  lodged  on  the  sclerotica,  the 
removal  of  which,  and  the  after  application  of  cold  water,  may  be 
all  that  are  required  for  the  patient's  relief.  Whereas,  to  purge  a 
horse,  under  the  circumstances,  would  be  both  absurd  and  injuri- 
ous. A  careful  examination,  therefore,  of  the  eye  must  be  made, 
and  the  inspector  having  satisfied  himself  that  there  is  no  local 
cause  of  irritation,  and  that  the  nature  of  the  case  demands  active 
treatment,  then  a  cathartic  will  be  indispensable. 

Local  means,  for  the  purpose  of  allaying  irritation,  must  now 
be  resorted  to.  Authors  recommend  various  articles ;  our  favorite 
one  is, — 

Tincture  of  arnica, 1  ounce, 

m  Water, 1  pint. 

In  bathing  the  eye,  a  piece  of  soft  sponge  should  be  used ;  at 
the  same  time  bearing  in  mind  that  the  eye  is  highly  sensitive, 
and  that  any  unnecessary  handling  of  the  part  is  liable  to  give 
the  patient  great  pain,  and  increase  inflammation. 

The  head  should  be  sponged  two  or  three  times  a  day  with 
cold  water ;  nothing  tends  so  much  to  allay  superficial  inflam- 
mation as  the  application  of  cold  water  —  "  It  puts  out  the  fire  of 
inflammation." 

It  has  been  customary,  and  the  practice  has  received  the  sanction 
of  eminent  surgeons,  to  abstract  blood  in  this  case  from  the  jugu- 
lar vein ;  but  as  the  author  has  no  sort  of  confidence  in  such  pro- 
cedure, he  cannot  recommend  it.     Bleed  the  horse  through  the 


THE    MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR.  177 

alimentary  canal,  is  our  motto,  by  means  of  purgatives ;  *  thus 
the  superabundant  fluids  of  the  body  can  be  drawn  off,  and  the 
system  as  certainly  prostrated  as  in  the  use  of  the  fleam ;  not  to 
the  same  extent,  however,  unless  purgation  be  continued  beyond 
the  limits  of  reason  and  experience.  Why  should  not  a  system, 
comparatively  speaking,  of  starvation,  be  superior  to  the  common 
mode  of  prostrating,  viz.,  by  bloodletting?  for  in  withholding  food 
we  put  a  stop  to  the  nutritive  processes,  and  the  animal,  as  it 
were,  lives  upon  himself,  thus  reducing  the  fluids  and  solids  of 
the  body:  this  is  just  precisely  what  the  practice  of  phlebotomy 
contemplates.  At  the  same  time  we  seriously  protest  against 
unnecessary  use  of  physic.  Cathartics  may  now  and  then  be 
indicated,  but  bloodletting  never.  This  is  our  honest  conviction  ; 
yet  at  the  same  time  we  have  no  ill  feelings  towards  those  who 
conscientiously  practise  the  latter. 

During  the  active  stage  of  this  disease,  cooling  drinks  are  use- 
ful, because  they  lessen  the  febrile  symptoms,  and  at  the  same  time 
prove  refreshing  to  our  patient ;  and,  if  composed  of  suitable 
agents,  they  tend  to  aid  the  exit,  by  appropriate  channels,  of  all 
excrementitious  matter.  In  this  view  we  use  cream  of  tartar  or 
epsom  salts.  One  ounce  of  either  article,  dissolved  in  a  common 
bucket  of  water,  answers  the  purpose. 

This  drink  may  be  allowed,  at  discretion,  during  the  time  and 
after  the  medicine  shall  have  operated ;  provided,  however,  the 
animal  be  not  griped  from  the  effects  of  the  physic,  nor  the  evac- 

*  "  Of  the  direct  effects  of  a  full  dose  of  cathartic  medicine  on  the  system, 
we  have  pretty  satisfactory  evidence.  Not  only  does  it  influence  the  general 
distribution  of  blood  by  causing  a  preternatural  determination  to  the  abdominal 
viscera,  but  its  operation  is  attended  with  a  greater  consumption  of  that  fluid, 
in  consequence  of  there  being  an  augmentation  of  the  intestinal,  and  probably 
other  secretions.  And  when  we  calculate  the  extent  of  the  secreting  surface 
of  the  alimentary  canal,  and  take  into  our  consideration  that  there  may  be  an 
augmented  afflux  of  other  secretions  to  it,  in  addition  to  its  own,  we  shall  be 
able  to  form  some  idea  of  the  loss  of  vital  fluid  the  system  may  sustain  in  this 
way ;  nothing  indeed,  can  evince  to  us  the  debilitating  effects  of  cathartics  more 
strikingly  than  the  quick  depression  of  condition,  and  with  it  strength  and 
spirits,  which  supervene  upon  excessive  purgation.  Even  as  a  depletive, 
therefore,  next  to  bloodletting,  catharsis  is  the  most  potent  remedy  we  pos 
sess  ;  and  it  is  chiefly  with  the  intention  of  determining  blood  to  the  bowels, 
and  of  drawing  it  off  in  the  form  of  secretion,  that  we  employ  purgation  in  most 
inflammatory  diseases."  —  PercivaWs  Lectttres. 


178  THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 

uations  profuse ;  in  either  case  a  small  portion  of  ginger  may  be 
added. 

If  the  constitutional  and  local  treatment  have  not  had  the  ef- 
fect of  changing  the  morbid  action  of  the  part,  and  it  remains  in 
an  irritable  state,  a  mucilaginous  fomentation  of  slippery  elm  or 
marshmallow  roots  will  be  of  benefit.  If  a  profuse  fluid  secretion 
takes  place,  the  application  must  possess  astringent  properties. 
The  following  is  a  good  example :  — 

Powdered  slippery  elm,    ...     2  drachms, 
"         bayberry  bark,  ...     1  drachm, 
Hot  water, 1  pint. 

Set  it  aside  until  cool ;  then  strain,  and  it  is  fit  for  use. 

Cold  applications  generally  agree  best  with  an  inflamed  eye ; 
yet,  in  the  cold  months,  it  may  be  advisable  to  apply  them  with 
the  chill  off. 

If  what  is  commonly  denominated  a  "  speck  "  should  appear, 
then  take 

Tincture  of  bloodroot,       ...     1  ounce, 
Water, 1  pint. 

Bathe  the  eye  three  times  a  day  with  this  mixture,  taking  care 
to  introduce  some  of  it  within  the  eyelids.  If  the  "  speck "  be 
large  and  persistent,  the  tincture  alone  must  be  applied  by  means 
of  a  camel's-hair  pencil.  Let  it  be  understood,  however,  that  the 
term  speck  is  merely  applied  to  that  opacity  which  is  confined 
to  the  external  tunic  of  the  organ  of  vision,  and  must  not, 
therefore,  be  confounded  with  cataract,  which  consists  of  an  opaci- 
ty of  the  crystalline  lens  or  its  capsule,  preventing  the  rays  of 
light  passing  to  the  optic  nerve. 

CATARACT. 

In  the  early  stage  of  this  disease,  a  small  white  speck  appears 
in  the  centre  of  the  lens  ;  sometimes,  however,  it  is  first  observed 
at  the  upper  or  lower  margin  of  the  pupil ;  it  gradually  increases 
in  size  until  the  sight  is  wholly  obliterated.  Human  practition- 
ers have  been  successful  in  the  cure  of  cataract  by  operation, 
and  we  think  the  process  of  depressing  or  extracting  the  dis- 
eased lens  in  the  horse's  eye  might  safely  be  practised,  provided 
it  be  done  before  the  retina  (which  is  an  expansion  of  the  optic 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  179 

nerve)  is  diseased.  Some  authors  urge  as  a  reason  for  not  per- 
forming such  operation  on  the  horse  that,  the  retractor  muscle 
draws  the  eye  back  so  powerfully  and  so  deeply  into  the  socket  as 
to  render  an  operation  almost  impossible.  But  this  difficulty  — 
thanks  to  the  discoverers  of  chloroform  —  can  now  be  obviated  ; 
still  we  have  doubts  of  such  an  operation  as  couching  (extract- 
ing) being  of  any  benefit  to  quadrupeds,  unless  we  can  form 
some  sort  of  a  convex  lens  to  place  before  their  eyes. 

We  know  of  no  remedy  that  can  be  depended  on  for  the  cure 
of  this  malady  other  than  such  as  comes  under  the  denomination 
of  "  alterative,"  calculated  to  improve  the  general  condition  of 
the  patient ;  and  perhaps  such  would  be  of  little  avail  in  the 
cure  of  what  is  generally  considered  an  incurable  disease. 
There  are  kinds  of  cataract,  however,  of  a  spurious  nature,  that 
can  be  absorbed.  —  For  further  information  on  this  subject,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  Percivall's  Veterinarian  and  Hippopathology. 

AMAUROSIS,   OR  GUTTA  SERENA. 

This  disease  (commonly  called  glass  eye)  is  attended  with  a 
diminution  or  total  loss  of  sight.  In  most  cases  the  pupil  is  dilated 
to  its  utmost  extent,  and  incapable  of  contraction  when  a  light  is 
held  near  it.  The  eye  has  so  bright  and  glassy  an  appearance 
as  not  to  be  mistaken. 

The  disease  may  be  either  symptomatic  or  sympathetic.  In 
the  first  case,  it  arises  from  some  injury' to  the  brain  produced  by 
concussion,  or  from  pressure  on  some  portion  of  the  cerebral 
mass.  In  the  latter  case,  it  arises  from  derangement  of  the 
organs  of  digestion. 

Symptomatic  gutta  serena  can  only  be  made  to  disappear  by 
the  removal  of  the  existing  cause  ;  if  this  be  impracticable,  then 
the  trouble  is  incurable.  But  if  it  depend  on  acute  or  chronic 
indigestion,  we  may  entertain  some  hopes  of  recovery.  If  the 
disease  be  of  recent  origin,  and  the  patient  in  fair  condition,  we 
may  entertain  some  hopes  of  a  cure  ;  yet,  after  all,  that  will  de- 
pend on  the  nature  of  the  case.  Youatt  and  some  others  con- 
sider amaurosis  an  "  incurable  disease."  These  waiters  probably 
refer  to  that  form  which  originates  in  disease  of  the  retina,  optic 


180  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

nerve,  or  from  tumor  within  the  ventricles  of  the  cerebral  mass. 
But  the  most  common  form  of  amaurosis  in  the  horse  is  that  de- 
nominated sympathetic.  We  have  seen  horses  that  have  sud- 
denly become  amaurotic  from  overfeeding,  the  subjects  at  the 
same  time  leading  a  lazy  life  in  an  air-tight  stable,  by  which 
errors  the  digestive,  as  well  as  other  functions,  become  impaired, 
and  reveal  their  pathological  condition  by  external  sign  —  amau- 
rosis. "We  remember  the  case  of  a  young  colt  which  died  of 
chronic  indigestion  —  debility.  For  several  weeks  previous  to 
leath,  the  animal  was  amaurotic  in  both  eyes  :  he  would  stand 
with  his  nose  protruded,  ears  erect,  and  head  raised  to  an  unnatu- 
ral position,  and  the  owner  informed  us  that  if  he  attempted  to 
move  the  patient,  he  would  raise  his  limbs  after  the  fashion  of  a 
dancing  master.  Such,  together  with  the  dilated  pupils,  are  the 
symptoms  to  be  considered  in  diagnosing  this  malady. 

Sympathetic  amaurosis,  therefore,  may  admit  of  cure  ;  and  that 
cure  consists  in  the  restoration  of  whatever  function  may  be  de- 
ranged ;  the  mere  application  of  local  remedies  to  the  eye  alone 
will  be  of  no  sort  of  use ;  we  must  go  beyond  —  seek  for  first 
causes,  and  apply  suitable  remedies  in  the  region  of  the  actual 
disease  ;  for,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  amaurosis  is  but  a  symp- 
tom indicating  disease  of  an  alarming  nature,  located,  perhaps, 
in  the  digestive  canal. 

The  causes  assigned  for  amaurosis  in  the  human  subject  are, 
compression  of  the  optic  nerves ;  from  debility ;  from  spasm ; 
and  from  poisons ;  and  probably  the  same  causes  may  produce 
similar  results  in  the  horse. 

The  treatment  of  amaurosis  must  depend  on  the  nature  of  the 

case;  if  the  subject  be  in  a  state  of  plethora  —  fat  and  sleek  — 

administer  the  following  cathartic  drench  :  — 

Powdered  aloes, 4  drachms, 

"         gentian, 2  drachms, 

Common  salt, 1  ounce, 

Warm  water, 1  pint. 

Keep  the  animal  on  a  light  diet  of  scalded  shorts ;  sponge  the 
head  with  cold  water ;  give  an  occasional  injection  of  salt  and 
water ;  and  let  the  patient  have  regular  exercise. 

If  the  patient  be  in  a  state  of  ancemia  —  debility  —  we  must 
have  recourse  to  tonics  and  alteratives,  with  a  view  of  invigor- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  181 

ating    the   system.     The  medicine  best   calculated   to  produce 

this  result  is 

Powdered  goldenseal,  "| 

"  gentian, 

"  sulphur,       V  of  each  1  ounce. 

"  ginger, 

-  salt,  J 

Oatmeal, 1  pound. 

Mix ;  divide  the  mass  into  twelve  parts,  and  give  one  in  the 

food,  night  and  morning.     The  eye  may  be  bathed  twice  a  day 

with  the  following  astringent  lotion :  — 

Powdered  bayberry  bark,      .    .     1  ounce. 
Boiling  water, 1  pint. 

When  cool,  strain,  and  add  a  table-spoonful  of  tincture  of  blood- 
root;  it  is  then  fit  for  use.  A  good  nutritious  diet  is  indis- 
pensable. 

Should  amaurosis  be  the  sequel  of  cerebral  disease,  little  hope 
can  be  entertained  of  recovery.  Should  the  reader,  however, 
desire  to  treat  such  case,  he  must  have  recourse  to  counter  irri- 
tation as  well  as  internal  medication.  As  counter  irritants,  some 
recommend  a  seton  under  the  jaws;  but  probably  a  mustard 
poultice  applied  behind  the  ears  would  have  the  same  effect. 


SPECIFIC  OR  PERIODIC  OPHTHALMIA. 

The  specific  or  periodic  form  of  ophthalmia  differs  from  com- 
mon ophthalmia. 

1st.  The  inflammation  is  deep-seated,  and  on  examining  the 
eye,  after  death,  we  find  the  choroid  coat  highly  inflamed,  pre- 
senting a  scarlet  appearance.  The  vitreous  humor  appears  of  a 
light  yellow  tint ;  all  the  internal  structures,  and  especially  the 
lens  and  its  capsule,  are  highly  injected,  presenting  a  network  of 
blood  vessels ;  whereas,  in  simple  ophthalmia  the  tunica  con- 
junctiva alone  is  commonly  affected. 

2dly.  Specific  ophthalmia,  unlike  simple,  is  considered  consti- 
tutional, and  is  subject  to  regular  paroxysms,  lasting  for  two  or 
three  days  at  a  time.  The  intermission  is  noticed  by  a  disap- 
pearance of  the  acute  symptoms,  and  a  restoration  of  the  sight. 
The  intermissions  are  sometimes  of  several  months'  duration, 
and  we   are  often  led  to  suppose  that  the  disease  has  entirely 

ie 


182  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR 

subsided ;  but  a  relapse  manifesting  itself  in  one  or  both  eyes, 
soon  undeceives  us. 

Causes  of  Periodic  Ophthalmia.  —  The  disease  may  be  in- 
duced by  a  variety  of  exciting  causes;  hereditary  influence  is 
supposed  to  be  one  among  the  many  causes  prolific  of  the  malady  ; 
yet  veterinarians  are  undecided  in  their  opinions  as  to  whether 
the  disease  itself,  or  only  the  predisposition,  is  transmitted.  Mr. 
Percivall  considers  hereditary  influence  as  "predisposent  only  — 
not  excitant;  nor  sufficient  of  itself  to  produce  ophthalmia." 
Professor  Coleman  teaches,  in  his  Lectures,  that  "  the  disease  is 
never  seen  prior  to  the  domestication  of  the  animal ;  never  occurs 
on  a  common  or  in  the  open  air,  but  is  the  product  of  the  poison 
generated  from  the  effluvia  of  the  breath,  dung,  and  urine  of 
horses  standing  together ;  in  proof  of  which  the  disease  is  found 
to  be  more  or  less  prevalent,  according  as  the  stables  in  which 
horses  stand  are  ventilated.  In  stables  that  have  the  most  cases 
of  inflamed  lungs,  grease,  and  glanders,  there  we  find  the  most 
blindness ;  and  where  these  diseases  are  rarest,  ophthalmia  is 
least  known.  Coincident  with  the  opinion  of  Coleman,  and  we 
may  add  Percivall  and  many  other  writers,  is  the  experience  of 
the  author,  and  many  intelligent  horse  dealers  of  the  United 
States  also ;  for  the  disease,  in  the  first  place,  is  not  so  prevalent 
here  as  in  the  crowded  cities  and  barrack  stables  of  the  old 
world ;  and,  secondly,  we  do  not  find  so  many  blind  horses  here. 
Whenever  a  case  of  simple  or  specific  ophthalmia  occurs,  we 
generally  find  the  subject  located  in  a  filthy  stable,  or  on  low, 
marshy  ground,  or  else  he  has  been  shut  up  for  many  hours  in  a 
railroad  car,  there  respiring  over  and  over  again  the  foul  products 
of  combustion  and  excretion.  The  disease,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
maybe  induced  by  mechanical  means,  —  through  injuries  sus- 
tained, —  or  by  violating,  in  the  stable  management  of  the  animal, 
some  physiological  law.  The  disease  induced  in  this  way  may 
at  times,  assume  in  its  primary  stage,  the  form  of  simple  ophthal- 
mia, and  afterwards  degenerate  into  the  disease  now  under  con- 
sideration. 

The  use  of  blinders,  which  are  now  fast  going  out  of  fashion, 
must  tend  to  irritate  the  eyes  of  horses  ;  and  the  sooner  they  are 
entirely  dispensed  with,  the  better  will  it  be  for  both  horse  and 
owner. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  183 

Treatment  of  Periodic  Ophthalmia.  —  The  first  thing  to  be 
done,  is  to  place  the  patient  in  a  situation  where  he  shall  be  as 
free  as  possible  from  exciting  causes  ;  the  treatment  may  then  be 
conducted  with  a  ray  of  hope.  Even  should  the  animal  be  the 
recipient  of  hereditary  predisposition,  his  removal  from  a  crowded 
stable  to  the  country  reduces  him,  as  it  were,  to  a  state  of  nature, 
and  tells  wonderfully  in  view  of  both  palliation  and  cure. 

Antiphlogistic  measures,  such  as  topical  and  general  blood- 
letting, purgatives,  &c,  are  usually  resorted  to  in  the  treatment 
of  common  ophthalmia,  and  sometimes  with  remarkable  success ; 
but  in  a  disease  of  this  character,  they  are  worse  than  useless. 
And  lest  this  our  opinion  should  appear  singular,  we  quote  from 
Hippopathology,  p.  97  :  "Blood  has  been  drawn  from  the  jugular 
vein  of  the  same  side  as  the  affected  eye,  until  the  animal  has 
quite  staggered  under  the  evacuation ;  the  carotid  artery  of  that 
side  has  been  stopped  by  ligature ;  nay,  the  vessels  carrying  on 
the  inflammation,  themselves,  as  they  ran  upon  the  cornea,  have 
been  severed  by  scarification  and  by  cauterization,  and  all  to  no 
other  purpose  than  that  of  checking,  or,  to  appearance,  subduing 
an  inflammatory  action,  which  has  been,  after  a  time,  sure  to  return 
with  equal  or  even  with  redoubled  force.  A  common  inflamma- 
tion, once  fairly  conquered,  has  no  power  to  revive  again;  at 
least  not  in  its  original  activity ;  but  as  for  the  inflammation  of 
periodic  ophthalmia,  it  will  return  again  and  again,  after  having 
been,  to  appearances,  overpowered ;  and,  in  opposition  to  our 
most  strenuous  endeavors,  will  march  slowly  or  rapidly  on,  accord- 
ing as  the  case  happens  to  be  acute  or  chronic,  to  the  ultimate 
destruction  of  the  eye." 

Purgative  medicine,  also,  which  has  been  so  highly  extolled  for 
the  cure  of  conjunctival  ophthalmia,  has  generally  failed  to  ben- 
efit the  patient:  from  these  facts  alone  the  reader  may  form 
some  idea  of  the  disadvantages  under  which  a  medical  man 
labors  while  treating  so  formidable  a  malady.  Hence  we  place 
very  little  reliance  in  the  antiphlogistic  treatment,  but  have  great 
confidence  in  the  means  which  God  and  Nature  have  provided  for 
the  maintenance  of  health,  and  for  its  restoration  when  absent. 
We  therefore  recommend  the  reader  to  study  that  branch  of 
medicine  —  hygiene  —  which  treats  of  the  preservation  of  health ; 


184  TIIE  MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

for  without  a  knowledge  of  its  fundamental  principles  we  cannot 
cure  disease. 

Having  then  removed  the  patient  to  a  healthy  location,  we 
make  some  sort  of  change  in  the  diet,  calculated  to  have  an 
alterative  effect.  All  green  fodder  may  be  considered  altera- 
tive ;  and  after  a  horse  has  been  kept  up  for  some  time,  and  fed 
on  stable  provender,  any  description  of  green  succulent  herbage 
may  be  given,  with  the  assurance  that  it  will  have  a  sanatory  effect. 

The   medicine    best   calculated   to   cooperate   with   hygienic 


means,  is 


.? 


j 

Powdered  sassafras, 

"  skunk  cabbage,  £     ...    of  each  3  ounces, 

"  gentian, 

"  sulphur, 2  ounces, 

"  elm  bark, 8  ounces, 

"  ginger, 2  ounces, 

"  salt, 3  ounces. 


Mix  ;  divide  into  twelve  powders,  and  give  one  every  night  in 
the  food. 

The  following  antispasmodic  preparation  must  be  applied  to 
the  eye  two  or  three  times  a  day :  — 

Tincture  of  Indian  hemp,  {canabis  sativus  Indicus,)  .    .    1  ounce. 
Rain  water, 1  pint. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  NERVOUS  SYSTEM. 

PALSY.  —  {Paralysis.-) 

There  are  three  varieties  of  paralysis  to  which  horses  are  sub- 
ject.—  Variety  1.  Hemiplegia,  —  affecting  one  half  of  the  body, 
longitudinally,  that  is  to  say,  the  limbs  and  body  of  one  side 
only.  Should  the  animal  have  a  sudden  attack,  and,  without 
warning,  in  an  instant  fall  down,  and  remain  there  on  the  affected 
side,  deprived  of  the  power  to  raise  himself,  hemiplegia  is  then 
considered  "  complete  ; "  whereas,  in  "  incomplete  "  hemiplegia, 
the  horse  remains  standing,  although,  if  urged  to  move,  the  ex- 
tensors of  the  limbs  seem  to  have  lost  their  power,  and  the  latter 
are  merely  dragged  along.     We  remember  treating  a  case  of 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  185 

incomplete  hemiplegia,  occurring  in  a  six  year  old  gelding,  sup- 
posed to  have  been  brought  on  by  overfeeding,  followed  by  a 
hard  drive.  The  off  side,  which  was  affected,  was  insensible  to  the 
prick  of  a  pin,  and  felt  several  degrees  colder  than  the  other ; 
the  head  was  drawn  into  an  unnatural  position,  partly  round  to 
the  affected  side,  and  the  patient  seemed  unable  to  straighten  the 
neck ;  the  eye  on  this  side  inclined  backward,  and  the  lower  lip 
and  right  ear  hung  pendulous.  This  horse  was  left  one  evening 
in  an  empty  barn,  as  usual,  and  next  morning  the  owner  called 
and  informed  us  that  the  patient  had  fallen  during  the  night,  and 
broke  his  neck  ;  that  the  head  was  doubled  completely  round  on 
the  side  of  the  neck,  and  lay  underneath  him.  We  did  not  see 
the  patient  after  the  accident,  but  from  the  man's  description  of 
the  position  of  the  horse,  concluded  that  he  must  have  stumbled 
against  something  during  the  night,  and  in  the  fall  dislocated  the 
first  cervical  vertebra  at  its  occipital  articulation. 

Variety  2.  Paraplegia.  —  This  affects  the  posterior  half  of 
the  body,  and  the  subject  is  found  squatting  on  his  haunches,  at 
the  same  time  making  incessant  efforts  with  his  fore  extremities 
to  raise  the  body ;  but  his  efforts  all  prove  of  no  avail ;  and  after 
the  primary  excitement  has  subsided,  he  will  be  found  sitting 
dog  fashion,  merely  making  an  occasional  effort  to  get  up.  In 
this  condition  the  urine  and  excrement  often  pass  involuntarily. 
Paraplegia  generally  results  from  some  injury  to  the  spinal  cord, 
received  in  slipping  down  on  the  pavements,  or  otherwise,  or  else 
through  violent  efforts  at  heavy  draught  ;  thus  injuring  the 
spinal  marrow,  either  by  laceration,  or  effusion  into  its  canal. 
Such  cases  generally  terminate  fatally. 

Variety  3.  Paralysis  partialis.  —  This  is  identical  with  pa- 
ralysis facialis  of  the  human  family,  and  consists  in  distortion  of 
the  parts  about  the  head  and  face  :  ordinarily  the  muscles  of  the 
face  are  drawn  upwards  —  one  side  only ;  but  in  some  parts  of 
the  "Western  States  such  subjects  have  a  most  unearthly  appear- 
ance about  the  face  ;  it  seems  to  affect  them  on  both  sides  of  the 
head,  so  that  the  upper  lip  is  doubled  completely  upwards,  and 
both  eyelids  are  raised,  so  as  to  expose  the  greater  portion  of  the 
upper  part  of  the  eye :  there  is,  however,  in  the  latter  case, 
tremulous  agitation  of  the  head  and  limbs,  and  sometimes  of  the 
16* 


186  THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR. 

whole  body,  which  does  not  take  place  in  simple  paralysis 
facialis. 

Paralysis  partialis  is  generally  the  sequel  of  indigestion ; 
therefore  the  cure  consists  in  restoring  the  digestive  function  to  its 
normal  state.  A  change  of  diet,  laxative  medicines,  tonics,  ex- 
ternal frictions,  light  work,  and  pure  air,  are  the  means  best  cal- 
culated to  restore  the  patient.  The  external  irritant  we  gener- 
ally make  use  of,  in  all  cases  of  paralysis,  is  composed  of 

Oil  of  cedar, 1  ounce. 

Tincture  of  capsicum, 6  ounces. 

Linseed  oil, 1  pint. 

To  be  applied  daily  over  the  region  of  the  spinal  column,  and  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  paralyzed  parts. 

Whatever  may  be  the  cause  of  this  disorder,  we  cannot  err  in 
combining  antispasmodics  *  with  whatever  medicines  are  admin- 
istered. There  are  three  kinds  which  we  are  much  in  favor  of, 
viz.,  assafoetida,  garlic,  and  Indian  hemp.  The  dose  of  the 
former  is,  one  drachm  of  the  powder ;  garlic  we  use  in  the  form 
of  sirup  —  from  one  to  three  ounces  ;  and  the  latter  in  the  form 
of  tincture  —  from  one  to  three  drachms. 

Should  the  patient,  in  consequence  of  overfeeding  and  want 
of  sufficient  exercise,  be  in  a  state  of  plethora,  which  may  be 
known  by  a  sleepy,  unwilling  gait,  redness  of  the  membranes  of 
the  eye,  constipated  bowels,  and  thick,  sometimes  high-colored 
urine,  the  antispasmodic  may  then  be  combined  with  six  or  seven 
drachms  of  aloes,  and  a  pint  of  warm  gruel,  with  which  the 
horse  may  be  drenched.  The  diet  should  be  fine  feed,  scalded, 
and  well  seasoned  with  salt. 

Paralysis  is  very  frequently  a  symptom  of  cerebral  disease, 
and  must  be  treated  accordingly.     See  Staggers,  &c. 


*  Antispasmodics  have  been  defined  as  "  agents  which  overcome  inordinate 
muscular  action  ;  "  therefore  all  nauseants  —  and  among  them  we  include  warm 
water  and  lobelia  —  are  antispasmodic.  The  reader  has  probably  experienced 
the  relaxing  and  beneficial  effects  of  a  warm  bath,  or  a  warm  cup  of  tea ;  and 
to  reason  from  analogy,  he  may  conclude  that  warm  fluid,  applied  either  inter- 
nally or  externally,  has  the  same  effect  on  a  horse.  Under  the  head  of  Anti- 
spasmodics, Professor  Morton  enumerates  alcohol,  ether,  oil  of  turpentine, 
opium,  spirit  of  nitric  ether.  Professor  Curtis  considers  all  the  essential  oils 
antispasmodic. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  187 


LOCKED- JAW.  —  (Trismus,  Tetanus.*) 

Tetanus  is  a  disease  of  nervous  origin,  affecting  the  muscles 
of  external  relation,  through  the  agency  of  perverted  nervous 
force  ;  it  consists  in  a  permanent  spasm  of  some,  and  in  the  latter 
stages  all,  of  the  voluntary  muscles ;  it  is  subject  occasionally  to 
slight  remissions,  but  no  relaxation. 

In  the  human  subject,  we  recognize  three  peculiar  features:  — 

1.  The  body  is  bent  forwards  — anticus. 

2.  Body  bent  backwards  — posticus. 

3.  Body  bent  siclewise  —  lateralis. 

The  horse,  however,  is  most  subject  to  that  form  of  disease 
known  as  trismus,  which  means  painful,  fixed,  and  rigid  con- 
traction of  the  jaws,  mouth  firmly  closed ;  and  one  or  more  of 
the  above  features  are  generally  blended  with  trismus.  Yet,  at 
the  onset,  the  locked-jaw  may  be  the  first  symptom  that  arrests 
our  attention,  and  so  long  as  this  symptom  remains  unconnected 
with  spasm,  or  stretching  of  muscles  of  the  trunk,  (it  seldom 
affects  those  of  the  limbs,)  the  case  is  one  of  pure  trismus  — 
locked-jaw. 

That  form  of  the  disorder  which  is  most  prevalent  in  this 
country  is  termed  traumatic,  resulting  from  wounds  —  docking, 
pricking,   &c. ;   from    injury  to   sensitive   tissues ;    arising   also 

*  S.  G.  "Wilmot,  member  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons,  who  has  great 
experience  in  the  treatment  of  tetanus,  communicates  for  the  Dublin  Medical 
Journal  the  following :  — 

"1.  Tetanus  depends  on  irritation,  directly  or  indirectly,  of  the  excito- 
motory  system,  or  true  spinal  cord,  by  which  it  becomes  surcharged  with  motor 
influence  ;  and  that  inflammation  in  or  about  the  cord,  or  any  appreciable  lesion, 
is  not  an  essential  condition  for  the  development  of  the  disease. 

"2.  That  our  grand  object,  in  the  treatment  of  tetanus,  should  be  to  sup- 
port the  patient's  strength,  by  the  administration  of  stimulants  and  strong 
nourishment,  with  a  view,  as  it  were,  to  compensate  the  vital  powers  for  their 
great  exhaustion,  consequent  upon  the  expenditure  of  force,  by  the  violent 
muscular  contractions,  which  in  some  cases  are  excessive. 

"  3.  That,  as  the  removal  of  the  exciting  cause  —  when  once  the  first  evidence 
that  irritation  has  been  propagated  to  the  spinal  cord  becomes  manifest  —  does 
not  in  the  least  degree  check  the  progress  of  tetanus,  or  abate  the  violence  of 
its  symptoms,  all  operations  in  traumatic  cases  are  generally  not  only  unne- 
cessary, but  in'urious." 


188  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

from  driving  a  nail  (when  shoeing)  in  the  wrong  direction,  and 
from  puncturing  the  foot,  by  picking  up  a  nail.  It  is  generally 
supposed  that  when  locked-jaw  follows  an  accident  of  this  kind, 
a  nerve  must  have  been  injured :  it  may  happen  so  in  some 
cases,  but  we  have  known  a  horse  to  die  of  this  malady,  when 
the  brunt  of  the  exciting  disease  was  expended  on  the  coffin 
bone  and  navicular  joint,  which  were  extensively  ulcerated  ;  there 
were  no  signs  of  any  injury  to  the  nervous  filaments,  and,  if  a 
nerve  had  been  injured,  would  not  its  abnormal  action  have  merged 
into  the  more  formidable  one  progressing  in  the  cartilaginous  and 
bony  structures  ?  For  it  is  generally  supposed  that  two  distinct 
diseases,  one  of  the  nerves  and  another  of  the  osseous  structure, 
could  not  coexist :  hence  the  locked-jaw  must  have  yielded,  if  it 
had  existed  in  consequence  of  injury  to  a  nerve.  The  locked- 
jaw  was,  no  doubt,  sympathetic,  and  probably  a  great  propor- 
tion of  those  cases  termed  punctured  nerve,  are  of  sympathetic 
origin. 

That  locked-jaw  frequently  occurs  as  a  sympathetic  affection, 
we  have  abundant  evidence.  Many  horses,  whose  digestive 
organs  have  acquired  a  morbid  habit,  and  have  gradually  arrived 
at  a  certain  state  of  intensity,  are  finally  attacked  with  trismus, 
and  die  with  their  jaws  set  as  tight  as  if  held  in  a  vice. 

That  locked-jaw  is  generally  a  sympathetic  affection  should  be 
known  to  every  man,  for  a  great  deal  of  useless  medication  and 
unnecessary  pain  is  inflicted  on  animals,  when,  if  the  exciting 
cause  wTas  understood,  the  poor  brute  might  oftener  be  relieved 
than  he  now  is. 

The  very  absurd  idea  promulgated  by  many,  that  locked-jaw 
of  the  traumatic  species  always  results  from  injury  to  a  nerve, 
and  from  no  other  cause,  should  now  be  exploded;  the  idea 
receives  no  advocacy  from  modern  veterinarians,  and  only  exists 
in  works  of  doubtful  origin.  On  consulting  Hippopathology,  p.  48, 
we  learn  that  traumatic  tetanus  may  arise  from  various  causes. 
One  case  originated  from  a  wound  under  the  eye  inflicted  by  the 
lash  of  a  whip.  "  The  late  Mr.  John  Field  mentions  one  case  in 
which  all  that  he  could  find  to  account  for  it  was  a  saddle  gall ; 
and  in  another  there  existed  only  a  wound  in  the  neck.  *  *  * 
On  one  occasion  it  succeeded  cauterization  of  the  jugular  vein." 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  189 

Two* cases  are  related  also,  occurring  after  strangles;  in  one  of 
them,  however,  there  existed  some  gastro-intestinal  irritation. 

"  D'Arboval  informs  us,  that  at  a  remount,  depot  for  cavalry- 
established  at  Bee,  (department  de  L'Eure,)  twenty-four  horses 
were  castrated  on  the  same  day,  and  afterwards  were  four  times 
a  day  made  to  take  a  cold  bath  in  wTater  derived  from  an  ex- 
ceedingly cold  spring ;  the  consequences  were,  that  sixteen  out 
of  the  twenty-four  died  of  tetanus  between  the  tenth  and  fifteenth 
days." 

Sympathetic  Tetanus.  —  This  is  supposed  to  arise  from  irrita- 
tion, or  some  derangement  of  the  digestive  organs  ;  we  have  seen 
and  treated  several  cases  of  this  character  with  success ;  the  chief 
remedies  were,  assafcetida  combined  with  mineral  tonics,  (car- 
bonate of  iron;)  stimulants;  frictions,  with  liniment,  to  the  jaws 
and  spine ;  injections  and  fomentations.  The  worst  case  of  sym- 
pathetic tetanus  we  ever  treated  was  that  of  a  ten  year  old  geld- 
ing. It  occurred  in  the  stable  of  Mr.  J.  Gilson,  West  Cambridge 
Centre,  during  the  latter  part  of  1852.  The  animal  had,  previous 
to  the  attack,  been  noticed  as  a  ravenous  feeder;  and  although  he 
ate  enough  to  support  two  common  horses,  his  condition  was  not 
benefited  by  it,  for  he  lost  considerable  flesh;  his  coat  looked 
bad,  and  he  was  the  subject  of  constipation  and  occasional  slimy 
discharges.  This  state  of  things  had  continued  for  some  time ; 
when  the  owner,  on  going  into  his  stall  one  morning,  to  feed, 
found  the  animal's  jaws  locked.  We  saw  him  a  few  hours  after- 
wards, and  found  the  jaws  unnaturally  fixed,  yet  not  closed  with 
that  vice-like  tetanic  spasm  that  is  seen  in  some  cases  of  acute 
tetanus ;  the  jaws  could  be  opened  so  as  to  admit  a  body  the  size 
of  a  man's  finger  between  the  nippers.  The  eye  had  the  usual 
appearance,  being  drawn  backwards,  and  partly  covered  by  the 
membrane  nictitans  (haw.)  The  ears  were  erected,  nostrils  ex- 
panded, and  the  neck  was  rigidly  extended  forwards  ;  the  coun- 
tenance presented  that  anxious  and  distressing  look  so  easily 
recognized  by  those  who  have  once  seen  a  case  of  this  character ; 
the  muscles  of  the  back  and  the  recti  of  the  abdomen  were  the 
seat  of  tonic  spasm ;  the  hind  limbs  were  widely  separated,  and 
the  fore  were  slightly  advanced,  being  in  the  most  favorable 
position  for  affording  support  to  the  inflexible  body ;  the  jaws 


190  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

remained  in  the  state  just  alluded  to  for  the  space  of  sixteen  days  ; 
there  was  no  lateral  motion  to  the  jaws,  but  the  patient  could 
readily  imbibe  thin  oatmeal  and  flour  gruel,  and  also  the  thera- 
peutic agents,  which  consisted  of  the  articles  just  named,  and  an 
occasional  laxative  to  keep  the  bowels  soluble.  The  animal, 
however,  came  near  losing  his  life  on  the  very  night  after 
the  jaws  relaxed.  He  had  been  fed,  watered,  secured  for  the 
night,  and  was  left  doing  as  well  as  any  poor  horse  in  his  circum- 
stances might  be  expected  to  do.  Next  morning  he  was  found 
down,  his  eyes  tumefied,  skin  knocked  off  in  various  parts  of  the 
head  and  body,  belly  enormously  swollen,  &c,  all  going  to  show 
that  he  had,  during  the  night,  and  was  now,  suffering  from  flatu- 
lent colic.  A  barrel  of  beans  scattered  on  the  floor,  one  side  of 
the  stall  lying  flat,  and  every  thing  about  the  barn  presenting  the 
utmost  confusion,  went  to  show,  that  during  the  night  our 
patient  got  loose  and  went  on  a  voyage  of  discovery  within  the 
limits  of  the  barn  ;  in  the  course  of  his  travels  he  came  across  a 
barrel  of  beans,  a  savory  meal  for  a  half-starved  horse,  and  no 
doubt  he  tried  the  strength  of  his  masseter  muscles,  which  had  of 
late  been  quite  useless.  The  sudden  change  from  gruel  to  hard 
beans  was  too  much  for  our  patient's  digestive  organs ;  hence  the 
colic.  By  the  exhibition  of  diffusible  stimulants,  carminatives, 
steaming,  rubbing,  &c,  he  got  over  the  trouble,  but  was  a  long 
while  before  all  his  external  injuries  healed ;  he  is  at  the  present 
time  owned  in  Roxbury,  apparently  as  well  as  ever.  If  we  take 
into  consideration  the  animal's  previous  protracted  illness,  it  seems 
remarkable  that  he  should  have  recovered.  We  should  therefore 
never  despair.  Another  case  of  sympathetic  tetanus  occurred  in 
the  same  town,  which  was  brought  to  a  favorable  termination : 
the  jaws  relaxed  on  the  fifth  day,  when  the  patient,  in  consequence 
of  being  fed  immediately  with  too  bountiful  a  hand,  died  a  few 
days  after  of  gastro-enteritis.  We  have  lately  viewed  with 
favor  the  theory  of  our  veterinary  luminaries,  that  tetanus  in  most 
cases  is  of  sympathetic  origin.  Some  very  interesting  remarks 
occur  in  Hippopathology  bearing  on  this  point,  which  we  shall 
here  introduce  as  valuable  acquisitions  to  our  poverty-struck  vet- 
erinary literature. 

"  The  sympathetic  disorder,"  writes  Mr.  Percivall,  "  as  I  shall 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  191 

call  the  other  form  of  centripetal  tetanus,  (having  discussed  the 
traumatic  variety,)  is  that  which,  from  the  absence  of  all  wound 
or  injury,  we  have  got  into  the  habit  of  considering  as  idiopathic ; 
though,  in  point  of  fact,  while  some  cases  so  considered  are,  no 
doubt,  central,  i.  e.,  originate  within  the  spinal  marrow,  others, 
there  seems  good  reason  for  believing,  must  be  dependent  upon 
some  irritation,  either  within  the  alimentary  canal,  or  in  some 
other  part  of  the  body.  Should  this  turn  out  to  be  the  case,  our 
pathology  of  tetanus  will  have  undergone  essential  improvement ; 
and  we  shall  be  able  to  account,  in  a  measure,  for  our  therapeu- 
tic agents  succeeding  in  one  case  and  failing  in  another  —  a  fact 
that  has  hitherto  led  us  either  to  regard  the  asserted  remedy  as 
useless,  or  to  attribute  its  failure  or  success  to  an  erroneous 
source.  In  a  word,  by  endeavoring  to  discover  the  real  seat  and 
nature  of  two  kinds  or  forms  of  disease  which  have  hitherto  been 
confounded  under  the  epithet  idiopathic,  it  is  manifest  we  are  in 
the  road  to  a  very  considerable  amendment  of  our  method  of 
treatment." 

Mr.  Percivall  quotes  also  the  opinions  of  Messrs.  Karkeek 
and  Henderson  in  support  of  his  own  opinion  as  to  the  sympa- 
thetic origin  of  tetanus  ;  and  he  introduces,  with  a  view  of  substan- 
tiating this  theory,  the  opinion  of  that  distinguished  surgeon,  Mr. 
Abernethy,  who,  he  says,  "  was  of  opinion  that  the  injury,  what- 
ever it  might  be,  leading  to  tetanus,  first  produced  disorder  of  the 
digestive  organs;  and  that  disorder  occasioned  derangement  of 
the  functions  of  the  spinal  marrow,  and,  through  it,  of  those  of  the 
system  at  larger  which  latter  derangement  constituted  tetanus." 
On  page  51  of  Hippopathology,  a  passage  occurs,  so  full  of  inter- 
est to  the  American  reader,  that  we  take  the  liberty  to  transfer  it 
to  our  pages. 

"  Mr.  A.  Henderson,  V.  S.,  London,  who  presented  the  Veter- 
inary Medical  Society  with  a  good  practical  paper  on  tetanus  in 
1832,  'doubts  if  the  horse  has  ever  the  disease  except  from  sym- 
pathy ; '  and  in  confirmation  of  this  opinion  states,  that  although 
during  life  the  symptoms  have  proved  insufficient  to  direct  his 
attention  to  the  seat  of  the  source  of  irritation,  examination  after 
death  has  manifested  appearances  which  left  no  doubt  on  the 
mind  of  Mr.  H.  about  the  nature  of  a  case  which  he  had  at  first 


192  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

considered  to  be  idiopathic,  i.  e.,  central.  And  in  the  position 
which  Mr.  H.  has  taken,  I  am  very  much  disposed  to  think,  that 
(although  I  do  not  believe  his  theory  complete)  he  stands  very 
strong. 

"I  feel  no  doubt  myself,  that  a  very  large  proportion  of  our 
cases  of  tetanus  originate  either  from  wound,  discovered  or  not 
discovered,  or  from  some  other  cause  of  local  irritation  ;  and  that 
cause  Mr.  H.  has  found  frequently  to  be  *  an  unusually  vascular 
appearance  of  the  large  sympathetic  nerves,  through  their  various 
ramifications  in  the  chest  and  abdomen.'  In  one  case,  in  combi- 
nation with  this  appearance,  he  found  distention  and  redness  of 
the  stomach,  with  crimson  spots  upon  its  pyloric  portion ;  in  a 
second  case,  with  the  same,  an  enormous  quantity  of  bots,  several 
of  which  had  eaten  through  the  coats  of  the  stomach ;  in  a  third, 
with  the  same,  an  immense  number  of  worms,  called  (erites,  in 
the  stomach  and  small  intestines,  and  in  some  parts  of  the  duode- 
num and  jejunum,  sufficient  to  block  up  the  passages.  The  ves- 
sels of  the  pia  mater  were  also  unusually  distended,  the  brain  in 
this  case  being  examined ;  and  there  was  more  water  than  usual 
in  the  ventricles.  To  this  it  may  be  right  to  add,  that  Mr.  H. 
found  the  sympathetic  nerves  similarly  affected  in  a  case  of 
tetanus  apparently  caused  by  broken  knees.  Mr.  Karkeek,  V. 
S.,  has  since  made  the  same  observation  on  idiopathic  tetanus ; 
and  in  regard  to  it,  coupled  with  the  consideration  of  other  facts, 
sagaciously  remarks,  that  '  tetanus  depends,  if  any  disease  does, 
upon  sympathy.'  And  in  another  place,  says,  *  I  am  of  opinion 
that  a  diseased  state  of  the  digestive  organs  is  invariably  the 
primary  cause,  as,  on  dissection,  I  have  ever  discovered  it  to  exist. 
Thus  confirming  Mr.  Abernethy's  opinion." 

The  reader  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  nervous  system  of  or- 
ganic life  and  the  sympathetic  nerves,  —  originating  from  the 
spinal  marrow,  —  form  a  network  of  ganglia  and  fibrils,  which 
are  distributed  to  the  various  parts  of  the  nutritive  and  secretory 
apparatus,  the  fibrils  forming  a  plexus  upon  the  walls  of  blood 
vessels,  and  with  them  running  to  the  various  parts  of  the  body. 
They  possess  the  power  of  exciting  muscular  contractions  in  the 
various  parts  to  which  they  are  distributed,  by  reflex  action  on 
their   spinal   origin,  from   whence   they  derive   motive   power. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  193 

Hence  it  will  readily  be  perceived  by  what  means  a  diseased 
condition  of  a  certain  organ  produces  sympathetic  disease.  Again 
let  it  be  understood  that  all  vital  manifestations  in  the  animal 
economy,  are  entirely  dependent  on  the  nutritive  function;  that 
the  properties  of  all  tissues  and  organs  are  dependent  for  their 
integrity  on  a  supply  of  perfectly  elaborated  blood  ;  that  respira- 
tion, circulation,  and  secretion  cannot  go  on  unless  the  nervous 
forces  are  well  balanced ;  and  that  the  harmony  of  that  vast  and 
complicated  apparatus,  known  as  the  nervous  system,  is  in  turn 
dependent  for  the  performance  of  its  legitimate  function  on  nu- 
trition. Then  we  can  perceive  that  many  diseases,  including 
tetanus,  may  readily  arise  from  perverted  nutrition,  and  inde- 
pendently of  any  external  causes.  External  causes,  however, 
produce  the  same  result,  but  not  so  often  as  people  suppose.  The 
reason  why  we  thus  labor  to  change  the  current  of  opinion  in 
favor  of  the  sympathetic  origin  of  this  malady  is,  that  a  more 
rational  system  of  medication  will  then  follow,  and  instead  of 
blistering,  bleeding,  and  cauterizing,  as  recommended  by  Youatt 
and  others,  —  tormenting  a  poor,  dumb  brute  to  no  purpose, — 
we  may  be  led  to  look  beyond  the  imaginary  limit,  find  the  real 
seat  of  the  difficulty,  and  treat  it  accordingly. 

Treatment  of  Tetanus.  —  The  author  does  not  wish  the  reader 
to  suppose  that  all  cases  of  tetanus  are  curable,  or  that  his  treat- 
ment is  always  successful;  there  are  cases  now  and  then  occur- 
ring which,  with  the  very  best  veterinary  skill,  must  terminate 
fatally.  Tetanic  symptoms  sometimes  develop  themselves  in 
horses  of  a  peculiar  diathesis,  which  opposes  rather  than  contributes 
to  the  harmony  of  the  vital  forces ;  the  subjects  are  not  able  to 
bear  up  against  the  encroachments,  which  are  continually  going 
on  during  the  long  siege  of  sickness,  nor  to  improve  their  other- 
wise unhealthy  condition,  and,  consequently,  they  sink  in  spite  of 
our  best  efforts.  Then,  again,  cases  have  come  under  our  ob- 
servation, in  some  of  which  the  subject's  jaws  had  been  locked 
for  two,  and  even  three,  days,  ere  any  thing  had  been  done  for 
the  animal;  some  of  the  owners  supposing  that  the  horse  had  lost 
his  appetite,  others  that  the  throat  was  sore,  &:c. ;  so  that,  under 
such  and  other  circumstances,  too  numerous  to  name,  yet  under- 
stood by  medical  men,  we  cannot  expect  to  be  always  successful. 
17 


194  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  treatment,  in  order  to  be  any  thing  like  successful,  must  be 
conducted  with  enlarged  views  of  the  animal  economy  as  a 
whole  —  we  must  realize  how  much  one  part  is  dependent  on, 
and  contributes  to,  the  support,  perpetuity,  and  identity  of  func- 
tion, on  another,  and  that  all  parts  are  united  by  a  common  bond 
of  sympathetic  continuity,  as  well  as  cellular  structure,  and  are 
destined,  in  certain  stages  of  disease,  to  suffer  in  common  from  a 
common  exciting  or  predisposing  cause. 

We  must  also  take  into  account,  that  the  debility  present,  or 
which  may  ensue  during  the  progress  of  tedious  or  prostrating 
disease,  mu3t  be  met  by  prompt  agents  favorable  to  health,  for 
debility  (functional  or  general)  may  with  certainty  be  consid- 
ered as  the  principal  cause  of  premature  death.  With  a  view, 
then,  of  promoting  the  living  integrity,  and  producing  an  equilib- 
rium of  function  throughout  the  whole  economy,  we  must,  in- 
stead of  prostrating  the  system  by  bloodletting  and  purging,  —  so 
strenuously  urged  by  most  writers,  and,  indeed,  practitioners  — 
administer  tonics,  antispasmodics,  stimulants,  and  laxatives  ;  for 
there  is  nothing  that  we  know  of  so  prostrating  to  the  system  of 
man  or  horse  as  acute  pain.  Long-continued  pain,  such  as  a 
tetanic  subject  is  known  to  suffer,  changes  the  very  elements  of 
the  blood  :  so  that  the  fluid  on  which  our  very  existence  depends 
for  —  using  a  homely  expression  —  its  bread  and  butter  (car- 
bon) is  deficient,  and  the  patient  may  die  for  want  of  fuel  to 
support  pulmonary  combustion.  There  is  really  no  necessity  for 
the  abstraction  of  blood  in  tetanus.  For  it  has  been  shown  by 
Dr.  Radcliffe  (see  Half-yearly  Abstract  of  the  Medical  Sciences, 
vol.  xvi.  p.  312,  and  also  No.  17,  p.  222,  January  to  June,  1853) 
and  by  other  eminent  surgeons,  that  convulsive,  spasmodic,  and 
tremulous  diseases  depend  on  a  decided  and  unequivocal  de- 
ficiency in  the  duo  amount  of  that  stimulus  which  is  supplied  to 
the  muscles  from  the  blood,  nerves,  and  other  sources,  and  not 
upon  an  increased  afflux  of  such  stimulus.  Dr.  Radcliffe  clearly 
demonstrates,  in  the  papers  alluded  to,  that  these,  as  well  as  other 
muscular  disorders,  depend  upon  the  same  want,  and  are  manifest- 
ed in  a  state  of  general  or  local  debility,  and  not  in  one  of  health 
and  vigor.  Hence  the  plan  of  treatment  here  recommended,  and 
by  which  we  have  saved  several  valuable  horses,  is  superior  to 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  195 

that  which  contemplates  prostration  of  the  vital  forces.  It  would 
be  exceedingly  interesting  to  follow  Dr.  Radcliffe  in  his  argu- 
ments sustaining  the  proposition  just  broached,  (the  state  of  the 
circulation  in  convulsive  and  spasmodic  disorders  ;)  but  our  limits 
will  not  allow  us  to  do  so.  With  a  view,  however,  of  sustaining 
our  own  opinion,  we  quote  the  following :  — 

"  The  state  of  the  circulation  in  tetanus  may  be  illustrated  by 
two  recent  cases.  One  of  these  was  sent  to  The  Lancet  by  Mr. 
Salter,  of  Dorset.  It  was  that  of  an  old  man,  upwards  of  seventy- 
three  years  of  age,  whose  foot  had  been  partly  destroyed  by  a 
threshing  machine.  The  spasms  set  in  after  a  prolonged  employ- 
ment (for  three  or  four  days)  of  strong  purgative  mixtures  of  salts, 
senna,  and  tartar  emetic,  along  with  morphia  and  aperient  pills. 
During  the  spasms  the  injured  foot  was  pale  and  numb,  the  skin 
moist,  and  the  countenance  cadaverous.  The  state  of  the  pulse 
is  not  specified  ;  but  what  this  was  is  to  be  inferred  from  the 
foregoing  particulars,  as  well  as  from  the  adoption  of  vigorous 
stimulation  with  brandy  and  ammonia  when  the  spasms  occurred. 
Indeed,  in  a  man  so  old,  so  injured,  so  antimonialized  and  purged, 
only  one  conclusion  is  possible,  namely,  that  the  circulation  must 
have  been  very  greatly  depressed.  This  appears  also  from  the 
sequel,  which  was  this,  under  the  new  mode  of  treatment  the 
system  rallied,  and  the  tetanized  parts  relaxed  ;  and  this  rally- 
ing and  relaxation  lasted  for  several  days,  at  the  end  of  which 
the  symptoms  relapsed.  This  was  after  an  exhausting  and  agi- 
tating interview  with  some  friends.  Again  stimulants  were  had 
recourse  to,  and  again  the  spasms  disappeared,  not  to  return. 
In  the  relapse,  the  pulse  is  stated  to  have  been  extremely  feeble, 
and  of  a  typhoid  character.  In  the  second  patient,  the  state  of 
his  system  is  stated  to  have  been  such  as  to  contra-indicate  the 
use  of  any  lowering  medicines,  the  spirits  being  faint  and  low, 
the  countenance  anxious,  the  pulse  98  and  weak,  and  so  on. 
Quinine,  ammonia,  and  turpentine  were  had  recourse  to ;  and 
the  result  of  the  treatment  was,  that  the  system  rallied,  and  the 
spasms  subsided.  These  instances  illustrate  the  large  body  of 
cases  of  tetanus,  for  certainly  the  majority  are  in  no  way  com- 
plicated with  any  kind  or  degree  of  vascular  activity  ;  but  do 
they  illustrate    the   rule?     Are    there    no  exceptions  in  which 


196  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

there  are  plethoric  or  other  active  symptoms  ?  The  answer,  ag 
it  seems  to  us,  is  clearly  in  the  negative.  It  is  stated  by  all  au- 
thorities, and  must  be  evident  to  all  who  have  had  any  experience 
in  the  disease,  that  there  is  no  fever  in  tetanus  ;  and  this  of  itself  is 
almost  sufficient  to  prove  our  position;  for  so  anxious  have  med- 
ical men  been  to  find  some  fever  in  maladies  of  this  class,  that 
to  admit  its  absence  is  almost  equivalent  to  admitting  the  oppo- 
site. Undoubtedly  the  vascular  state  in  tetanus  assumes  many 
aspects,  and  some  of  these  are  such  as  to  deceive  an  unpractised 
eye  or  an  impatient  finger.  There  can  be  no  mistake  in  such 
cases  as  have  been  described,  but  they  may  very  readily  be  in 
irritable  subjects.  In  such  persons,  owing  to  the  excitement  of 
examination,  or  some  unusually  severe  pangs  at  the  moment, 
the  pulse,  when  first  felt,  may  beat  with  considerable  force  and 
fulness,  and  so  give  rise  to  an  impression  of  fever  or  plethora ; 
but  this  rapidly  passes  off,  and  the  color  fades ;  the  pulse  flags 
and  falters.  The  pulse,  indeed,  is  eminently  changeable,  and 
any  excitement  which  may  be  manifested  in  it  is  quite  momenta- 
ry, in  comparison  with  the  almost  constant  state  of  depression. 
It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind,  as  confirming  the  same  view,  that 
in  fatal  cases  the  spasms  of  tetanus  continue,  and  often  increase, 
in  spite  of  the  progressive  failure  of  the  circulatory  powers  —  a 
fact  that  is  only  explicable  on  the  supposition  that  the  spasms 
are  dependent  upon  the  very  reverse  of  vascular  activity.  The 
same  conclusions  arise  also  out  of  the  cadaveric  rigidity  ;  for  in 
this  case  we  have  a  state  of  tetanoid,  or,  rather,  catalejptoid  con- 
traction, which  subsists  with  stagnation  and  death  of  the  blood, 
and  which  endures  untiringly  until  the  muscles  are  broken  up 
by  incipient  decay.  In  spasms,  therefore,  as  in  tremulousness 
and  convulsion,  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  a  decided  lack  of 
circulatory  power.  It  would  seem,  also,  as  if  that  lack  were 
greater  in  convulsion  than  in  tremulousness,  and  in  spasm  than  in 
convulsion.  *  *  *  Tetanus,  we  learn  from  many  surgeons, 
is  most  apt  to  occur  when  soldiers  are  dispirited,  exhausted,  ill 
fed,  and  exposed  to  cold.  Cadaveric  rigidity  is  the  work  of 
death.  In  short,  the  causes  of  tremor,  convulsion,  and  spasm 
are  such  as  go  to  confirm  the  deductions  arising  out  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  vascular,  nervous,  and  muscular  systems ;  and  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  197 

condition  of  these  systems  reacts  in  confirming  the  idea  that 
these  causes  are,  as  they  seem  to  be,  of  an  anti-vital  character." 
Taking  into  consideration,  then,  that  tetanus  is  a  disease  of  a 
depressing  character,  we  must  support  the  vital  powers ;  and  if 
the  case  is  one  supposed  to  originate  from  the  introduction  of  a 
foreign  body  within  the  hoof,  or  from  any  other  injury  evolving 
pain,  the  sooner  we  commence  to  give  stimulants  and  nutritive 
food  the  better.  Flour  or  oatmeal  gruel,  made  thin  enough  for 
the  animal  to  suck  up,  and  seasoned  with  salt,  should  be  kept 
before  him  ;  and  whatever  medicine  seems  requisite  may  be 
administered  in  this  way.  As  a  standing  daily  medicine,  we  use 
the  following,  and  we  can  conceive  of  no  case  that  would  contra- 
indicate  its  use.     Take 

Powdered  assafcetida,     ...  12  drachms, 

"  carbonate  of  iron,  .  6  drachms, 

"  capsicum,       ...  3  drachms, 

Salt, 1  ounce, 

Cream  of  tartar, 2  ounces. 

Mix ;   divide  the  mass  into  twelve  parts,  and  give  one  every 

night.     The  jaws  and  spine  are  to  be  rubbed  for  at  least  two 

hours,  daily,  with  a  portion  of  the  following  :  — 

Tincture  of  capsicum,  1 

Essence  of  ^'.      \     ■    °f  each  Ja  pint. 
Beef's  gall,     ...     J 

The  parts  are  also  to  be  occasionally  lubricated  with  olive  oil ; 
the  jaws  to  be  encircled  with  flannel.  Should  the  horse  have  been 
pricked  in  the  foot,  take  off  the  shoe,  and  having  found  the  orifice 
where  the  nail  entered,  examine  it,  and  see  if  there  be  any  foreign 
body  within  it ;  if  so,  remove  it ;  enlarge  the  outer  orifice  with  the 
point  of  a  knife  ;  then,  having  cleansed  the  part,  apply  the  follow- 
ing poultice :  — 

Powdered  hemlock  bark,  ^ 

"         lobelia,  >  equal  parts. 

"         slippery  elm,    ) 

Moisten  with  boiling  water,  then  add  a  handful  of  soft  soap. 
When  sufficiently  cool,  apply  it  to  the  foot  in  the  usual  manner, 
renewing  it  daily.  If  at  the  end  of  three  or  four  days  no  dis- 
charge appears,  it  may  be  discontinued,  and  a  common  dressing 
of  tincture  of  aloes  applied. 
17* 


198  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Injections.  —  In  view  of  evacuating  the  lower  bowels  and  rec- 
tum, we  give  clysters  of  soap  suds,  and  in  view  of  supporting  the 
strength,  (after  evacuating  the  former,)  we  resort  to  meat  broth 
and  flour  gruel,  to  be  used  as  occasion  may  require.  If  the 
patient  be  of  plethoric  diathesis,  we  need  not  be  in  too  great  hurry 
to  administer  nutriment,*  but  should  simply  keep  the  bowels  in 
a  soluble  state,  by  a  dose  of  cream  of  tartar  and  sulphur ;  four 
drachms  of  the  former  to  about  six  of  the  latter,  being  about  the 
right  proportion.  If  any  exciting  cause  exists,  we,  of  course,  pay 
attention  to  this,  and  to  the  relaxation  of  the  jaws.  If  they  are 
rigidly  set,  and  the  external  application  fails  to  give  relief,  we 
may  try  warmth  and  moisture.  A  lobelia  poultice  applied  around 
the  jaws,  and  kept  moist  with  warm  water,  will  generally  do  good, 
even  in  the  very  worst  cases. 

Some  patients,  at  the  commencement,  show  unmistakable  symp- 
toms of  debility  ;  to  all  such  we  give,  with  a  liberal  hand,  strong 
sage  tea,  or  infusion  of  gentian,  sweetened  with  honey.  The 
cases  that  have  terminated  favorably,  have  been  treated  some- 
what after  this  simple  fashion.  We  have  tried  chloroform,  and 
cold  water,  and  feel  satisfied  that  they  did  more  harm  than  good, 
and  thus  hastened  the  death  of  several  patients. 

The  disease  frequently  sets  in  after  docking  and  nicking.  In 
such  cases  the  books  tell  us  to  prick,  or  nick  deeper,  and  dock  a 
little  higher  up.  This  looks  very  well  on  paper,  but  fails  in  ap- 
plication. We  never  saw  any  benefit  derived  from  the  barba- 
rism ;  we  think,  however,  that  a  good  poultice  of  bayberry  bark 
and  lobelia,  applied  to  the  tail,  might  answer  a  better  purpose. 
But  the  trouble  is  not  in  the  tail ;  yet  it  might  be  gangrenous ; 
then,  in  view  of  removing  exciting  causes,  it  must  be  amputated : 
at  such  stage,  however,  we  have  doubts  of  its  efficiency,  for  the 
disease  is  beyond  the  reach  of  the  knife. 

Very  little  improvement  has  taken  place  in  the  treatment  of 
tetanus.     Veterinary  surgeons  have  generally  followed  somewhat 

*  Nutritive  Enemaia.  —  A  horse  may,  for  a  long  time,  be  supported  on  nu- 
tritive enemata,  composed  of  flour,  or  fine  oatmeal  gruel,  mixed  occasionally 
•with  a  little  salt.  There  is  a  case  recorded  in  the  Foreign  Quarterly  Retro- 
spect, of  a  man  unable  to  swallow,  who  was  supported  thirty-nine  days  on  nutri- 
ment administered  per  rectum. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  199 

in  the  footsteps  of  human  practitioners,  whose  aim  and  view  of 
cure,  Hooper  tells  us,  is,  — 

"1.  To  remove  the  local  cause  or  irritation,  which  may  appear 
to  have  excited  the  disease. 

u  2.   To  lessen  the  general  irritability  and  spasmodic  tendency. 

"  3.   To  restore  the  tone  of  the  system. 

"  If  a  thorn  or  other  extraneous  substance  be  lodged  in  any  part, 
it  must  be  extracted  ;  any  spicula  of  bone,  which  may  have  brought 
on  the  disease  after  amputation,  should  be  removed ;  a  punctured 
wound  ought  to  be  dilated,  &c.  Some  have  proposed  dividing  the 
nerve  going  to  the  part,  or  even  amputating  this,  to  cut  off  the  irri- 
tation ;  others  paralyzing  the  nerves  by  powerful  sedatives,  or  de- 
stroying them  by  caustics  ;  others,  again,  exciting  a  new  action  in 
the  parts  by  active  stimulants  ;  but  the  efficacy,  and  even  propriety 
of  such  measures  are  doubtful.  To  fulfil  the  second  indication, 
various  means  have  been  proposed.  The  abstraction  of  blood, 
recommended  by  Dr.  Rush,  might  perhaps  appear  advisable  in 
a  vigorous  plethoric  habit,  in  the  beginning  of  the  disease ;  but  it 
has  generally  proved  of  little  utility,  or  even  hurtful,  and  is  rather 
contra-indicated  by  the  state  of  the  blood.  [Mark  that,  ye  who 
advocate  bloodletting.]  Purging  is  a  less  questionable  measure, 
as  costiveness  generally  attends  the  disease ;  and  in  many  cases 
it  has  appeared  very  beneficial,  especially  when  calomel  was 
employed.  It  has  been  found,  also,  that  a  salivation,  induced  by 
mercury,  has  sometimes  greatly  relieved  the  disorder,  but  in 
other  instances  it  has  failed  altogether. 

"  The  remedy  which  has  been  oftenest  employed,  and  with  the 
most  decided  advantage,  is  opium ;  and  sometimes  prodigious 
quantities  of  it  have  been  exhibited:  indeed,  small  doses  of  it  are 
useless,  and  even  large  ones  have  only  a  temporary  effect,  so 
that  they  must  be  repeated  as  the  violence  of  the  symptoms  is 
removed ;  and  where  the  patient  cannot  swallow,  it  may  be  tried 
in  clyster,  or  rubbed  freely  into  the  skin.  Other  sedative  and 
antispasmodic*  remedies  have  been  occasionally  resorted  to,  as 
hemlock,  tobacco,  musk,  camphor,  &c,  but,  for  the  most  part, 
with  less  satisfactory  results.  The  warm  bath  has  sometimes 
proved  a  useful  auxiliary  in  cold  climates ;  but  the  cold  bath  is 
much  more  relied  on  in  the  West  Indies,  usually  in  conjunction 


200  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

with  opium.  In  Germany,  alkaline  baths,  and  the  internal  use 
of  the  same  remedies,  are  stated  to  have  been  decidedly  service- 
able. Others  have  advised  the  large  use  of  bark  and  wine, 
which  seems,  however,  rather  calculated  to  be  preventives,  or  to 
fulfil  the  third  indication ;  yet  wine  may  be  employed  rather  as 
nourishment,  since  in  severe  cases  little  else  can  be  taken. 
Electricity  seems  too  hazardous  a  remedy  to  be  tried  in  a  general 
affection,  especially  in  the  muscles  of  respiration ;  but  if  confined 
to  the  jaw  it  may  be  useful  in  a  mild  form."  — ■  Hooper's  Dic- 
tionary. 

SPRINGHALT. 

This  peculiar  spasmodic  affection  of  muscles  in  the  hind  ex- 
tremities is  not  so  common  among  American  horses  as  it  is 
among  the  French  and  German  breeds.  It  is  an  affection  over 
which  the  veterinary  surgeon,  armed  with  the  whole  materia 
medica,  has  very  little  power  ;  for,  in  the  nervous  system  first 
originates  the  cause,  which  subsequently  gives  rise  to  the  peculiar 
gait  termed  springhalt ;  and  the  practitioners  of  all  creeds  have 
acknowledged  their  inability  to  direct  medicine  to  the  nervous 
structure,  even  after  they  have  secured  its  digestion  in  the 
stomach.  To  introduce  medicinal  agents  into  the  latter  is  an 
easy  matter,  but  to  make  them  reach  that  wonderful  and  delicate 
organized  substance,  the  brain,  and  its  nervous  filaments,  is  another 
affair.  These  remarks,  however,  apply  to  cases  of  springhalt 
depending  on  some  lesion  of  nervous  filament,  pressure,  or  atro- 
phy of  the  nerves  of  nutrition.  Minor  derangements,  resulting 
in  spasmodic  action,  may  be  relieved,  by  removing  the  cause  or 
the  morbid  habit  which  induces  them.  To  do  this,  our  treatment 
must  be  general ;  that  is,  we  must  restore  healthy  action  to  the 
whole  animal  structure,  and  remove  obstructions  wherever  they 
exist. 

Before  alluding  to  the  treatment,  we  shall  introduce  to  the 
reader's  attention  a  selection  from  Mr.  Percivall's  lectures,  de- 
livered some  thirty-five  years  ago  ;  and,  if  the  reader  will  com- 
pare that  author's  views  with  those  of  the  surgeons  of  the  present 
day,  he  will  find  that  they  have  nothing  new  to  offer. 

The   distinguished   lecturer   on    veterinary   science   remarks, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  201 

"  We  need  give  no  description  of  the  action  or  peculiar  gait  of  a 
horse  said  to  have  springhalt :  the  greatest  novice  easily  detects 
it,  and  seldom  fails  to  make  objections  to  purchase  an  animal 
thus  affected.  Mr.  Feron,  one  of  the  few  writers  who  have  no- 
ticed springhalt,  says,  '  I  am  convinced,  however,  by  long  experi- 
ence and  observation,  that  springhalt,  as  it  is  called,  is  no  disease, 
therefore  can  require  no  remedy.'  And  in  another  place,  '  In- 
deed, in  Spain,  France,  and  Germany,  it  is  esteemed  extremely 
graceful  in  their  riding  schools,  or  manege,  'particularly  when 
there  is  a  springhalt  in  both  hind  legs.'  This  writer  has,  however, 
admitted  it  to  be  a  disease,  to  the  full  scope  of  the  word,  in  the 
very  outset  of  his  description,  by  defining  it  to  be  '  an  involuntary 
convulsive  motion  of  the  muscles,  which  extend  or  bend  the 
hock.'  In  some  particulars,  springhalt  bears  some  affinity  to 
what  in  human  medicine  is  called  chorea.  We  do  not  mean, 
however,  to  assert  that  they  are  essentially  the  same  disease ; 
much  less  do  we  imagine  that  a  similar  mode  of  treatment  could 
have  any  good  effect ;  all  we  wish  to  infer  by  such  an  analogy  is, 
that  they  are  both  spasmodic  or  convulsive  diseases,  in  which  the 
will  has  lost  more  or  less  of  its  control  over  certain  voluntary 
muscles.  !Not  unfrequently,  when  the  animal  has  lifted  his  hind 
leg  from  the  ground,  which  is  always  done  with  a  convulsive 
twitch,  the  fetlock  nearly  approaches  the  belly,  and,  by  some 
other  remarkable  irregularities  in  its  action,  before  the  foot  can 
be  replaced  upon  the  ground,  (which  it  seldom  is  in  the  most 
advantageous  position,)  displays  such  unnatural  movements  as  to 
convince  us  that  volition  has  but  little  power  over  it  during  its 
suspension.  Sometimes  this  irregular  action  is  confined  to  one 
leg,  but  we  believe  that  it  is  more  commonly  seen  in  both.  It  is 
seldom  or  never  removed. 

"  Such  writers  as  offer  any  opinion  of  its  nature  suppose  it  to 
be  a  muscular  affection,  mistaking,  we  conceive,  the  effect  for  the 
cause.  We  choose  rather  to  refer  its  seat  to  the  spinal  marrow, 
or  to  the  nervous  trunks  passing  between  it  and  the  affected 
muscles  ;  an  opinion  we  were  first  led  to  adopt,  from  having  ob- 
served a  broken-backed  horse  exhibit  all  the  characteristic  signs 
of  springhalt,  which  in  this  case  was  clearly  only  an  accompany- 
ing symptom  of  the  former  disease.     It  was  stated  in  the  fore- 


202  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

going  part  of  this  lecture,  that  section  or  compression  of  the 
spinal  marrow  paralyzed  muscles,  and  that  irritation  of  it  con- 
vulsed them.  Now,  we  know  that  many  cases  of  broken  back 
terminate  in  palsy ;  and,  if  this  be  true,  why  should  not  others 
be  productive  of  springhalt — since  the  one  arises  from  compres- 
sion, while  the  other  is  merely  the  result  of  irritation  ?  It  is  not, 
however,  necessary  that  a  broken  back  be  present ;  for  any  other 
cause  of  irritation,  we  apprehend,  would  induce  this  disease. 
Horses  are  very  subject  to  injuries  of  the  loins  —  much  more  so 
than  we  seem  to  be  aware  of — from  being  suddenly  stopped  or 
turned,  or  from  being  overweighted  about  those  parts ;  accidents 
that  are  but  too  seldom  detected,  since  they  may  not  be  severe 
enough  to  constitute  broken  back,  though  they  may  so  far  disturb 
the  nervous  functions  as  to  cause  springhalt.  Should  the  injury, 
or  the  consequences  of  it,  be  confined  to  one  side,  then  only  one 
column  of  the  marrow  will  be  affected,  and  but  one  leg  con- 
vulsed :  the  nature  and  extent  of  disease  in  it  will  perhaps  de- 
termine the  degree  of  springhalt. 

"Such  is  our  theory  of  a  disease  whose  nature,  we  believe,  has 
up  to  this  time  remained  unexplained ;  whether  we  have  taken 
a  correct  view  of  it,  experiment  and  special  attention  to  these 
cases  in  future  can  alone  decide.  "We  have  long  had  it  in  con- 
templation to  attempt  to  induce  springhalt  by  artificial  means  ; 
and  we  intend,  as  soon  as  an  opportunity  presents  itself,  to  insti- 
tute some  experiments  for  this  purpose. 

"  We  so  seldom  know  any  thing  of  the  origin  and  progress  of 
these  cases,  and,  even  if  we  did,  they  have  generally  endured  so 
long,  that  it  would  be  labor  lost  to  treat  them.  Should,  however, 
a  recent  case  present  itself,  in  a  horse  of  value  enough  to  render 
his  recovery  an  object  of  consideration,  we  may  pursue  such 
means  as  have  been  recommended  in  the  equally  hopeless  one 
of  broken  back." 

Regarding  the  Treatment.  —  It  will  be  proper,  when  the  attack 
is  sudden,  to  let  the  horse  rest ;  for,  in  a  sudden  attack,  we  might 
naturally  suspect  that  some  injury,  either  by  blow  or  strain,  had 
been  done  to  the  nerves  of  voluntary  motion  :  in  that  case,  cold 
water  bandages,  (around  the  body,)  rest,  light  diet,  nauseating 
medicines,  with  an  occasional  light  dose  of  cathartic  medicine,  to 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  203 

clear  out  the  bowels,  will  be  indicated.  Fomentations,  light 
frictions  with  antispasmodic  liniment,  and  the  vapor  bath,  may 
assist  materially  in  the  recovery  of  the  patient. 

In  chronic  cases  of  long  standing,  all  hopes  of  recovery  must 
be  abandoned :  should  the  subject,  however,  be  in  a  state  of  de- 
bility, the  general  health  may  be  improved,  and  the  spine  should 
be  daily  rubbed  with  embrocations  calculated  to  restore  nervous 
energy ;  in  this  view,  we  recommend  the  following  embrocation 
for  springhalt :  — 

Linseed  oil, 1  pint, 

Spirits  of  hartshorn, 2  ounces, 

Fine  mustard, £  ounce. 

The  medicine  to  consist  of 

Powdered  goldenseal,  ") 

CrelofSar?'  •    of  each  1  ounce, 

Charcoal,  J 

Assafcetida, £  ounce. 

Mix ;  divide  into  eight  parts  ;  one  to  be  given  morning  and 
evening,  in  the  food. 


HYSTERIA  IN  MARES. 

Hysteria  is  derived  from  a  Greek  noun,  signifying  the  womb  : 
the  disease  is  of  a  nervous  and  spasmodic  character,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  arise  from  derangement  in  the  organs  of  generation.  In 
the  human  subject,  plethora  and  suppression  of  the  menses  are 
assigned  as  the  chief  causes  of  this  affection ;  yet  these  conditions, 
probably,  had  another  antecedent,  which  is  quite  common  among 
various  species,  viz.,  dyspepsia ;  for  we  know  that  there  is  a  lia- 
bility of  twro  or  several  organs  to  be  affected  in  succession  by  a 
disease  commencing  in  one  of  them :  the  stomach  therefore,  and 
uterus,  which  are  conjoined  in  the  performance  of  special  functions, 
—  nutrition  and  reproduction, —  although  having  no  direct  ana- 
tomical connection,  are  very  apt  to  display  morbid  sympathies, 
commencing  in  one  and  ending  in  the  other :  this  is  accomplished 
through  the  nervous  connections  between  distant  parts. 

From  what  the  author  has  been  able  to  observe  and  glean,  it  is 
his  opinion  that  hysteria  occurs  most  frequently  among  virgin 
mares,  after  the  age  of  puberty ;  and  in  such  as  have  had  a  foal, 


204 


THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


M 


/ 


FCETUS. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  205 

and  afterwards  deprived  of  sexual  intercourse.  The  disease  is 
more  apt  to  make  its  appearance  about  the  menstrual  period  * 
than  any  other;  at  such  times  the  mare  should  be  fed  light,  and 
excused  from  every  sort  of  active  work  ;  perhaps  a  saline  aperient 

*  The  following  communication  on  menstruation  in  mares  has  been  received 
by  the  author,  from  Dr.  C.  H.  Cleaveland  :  — 

"  Probably  all  know  that  mares  of  the  proper  age,  and  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year,  menstruate,  or,  in  other  words,  have  uneasy  turns,  get  ' foolish, 
as  they  say  in  Illinois ;  and  that,  at  such  times,  they  seem  unwilling  to  perform 
their  usual  task,  either  as  travellers  or  as  draught  horses;  that  they  seem  fret 
ful,  and  often  ill  tempered,  vicious,  spiteful,  and  frequently  get  a  most  thorough 
whipping,  because  their  masters  also  get 4  foolish.' 

"Now,  the  simple  fact  is,  that  the  mare  knows  more  than  her  master  in 
regard  to  her  then  condition,  and  she  is  trying  to  drive  into  his  foolish  noddle 
that,  on  such  days,  she  should  be  left  quiet,  and  be  subject  to  no  labor  beyond 
the  most  gentle  exercise. 

"  If  the  reason  why  this  course  should  be  pursued,  in  preference  to  the  hard 
work  and  the  whipping  which  your  mare  has  had  bestowed  upon  her  at  such 
times,  is  not  now  plain  and  satisfactory  to  you,  most  sapient  reader,  just  inquire 
of  any  old  matron  within  the  circle  of  your  acquaintance,  and  she  will  tell  you 
that  I  am  correct,  but  perhaps  '  without  a  why  or  wherefore.' 

"  The  reproductive  organs,  in  all  animals,  are  intimately  connected  with  the 
nervous  system,  and  of  course  exert  a  vast  influence  over  not  only  the  nerves, 
but  also  the  entire  body,  mind,  and  disposition ;  and  when  those  organs  are 
deranged  or  diseased,  the  entire  animal  economy  must  suffer  and  be  rendered 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree  unfitted  to  perform  its  usual  labors.  In  the  female, 
these  organs  exercise  a  still  more  powerful  influence  upon  the  other  parts  of  the 
system  than  in  the  male ;  and  as  they  are  liable  to  periodical  derangements  or 
excitements,  it  becomes  obviously  necessary  to  be  strictly  cautious  not  to  tax 
the  animal's  powers  of  endurance  at  those  periods. 

"  Mares  that  have  been  ridden  under  the  saddle,  or  driven  in  harness,  during 
their  periods  of  heat,  and  have  performed  no  more  than  their  usual  amount  of 
labor,  are  frequently  discovered  to  be  covered  with  perspiration  across  the  loins, 
while  all  other  parts  of  the  surface  are  cool  and  dry  ;  and  the  hostlers  will  say 
that  they  have  been  unable  to  rub  those  moist  spots  dry,  even  after  the  lapse 
of  many  hours ;  and  the  next  day  the  mare  is  observed  to  drag  her  hind  leg? 
after  her,  almost  as  though  her  back  were  broken.  Indeed,  her  back  is  lame, 
weak,  and  painful.  She  urinates  with  difficulty,  and  there  is  evident  inflam- 
mation of  the  kidneys,  the  ovaries,  and  the  uterus. 

"  From  slight  injuries  of  this  class  mares  will  readily  recover  ;  but  if  they  are 
of  too  frequent  repetition,  or  the  injury  be  of  too  grave  a  character,  the  chances 
are,  that  the  animal  will  be  unable  ever  after  to  perform  well,  and  will  soon 
become  nervous,  irritable,  and  weak,  and  will  be  passed  from  jockey  to  jockey 
until  she  dies  ;  a  martyr  not  to  her  own  'foolishness,'  —  for  her  waywardness  at 
those  times  are  wise  admonitions  to  her  master,  —  but  to  the  folly  of  those  who 
will  not  learn  to  understand  nature,  because  '  they  know  all  about  their  horses,' 
and  do  not  wish  to  be  instructed  by  any  book  doctor." 

18 


206  THE    MODERN    nORSE    DOCTOR. 

may  be  of  some  use  in  correcting  any  existing  morbid  habit  of 
body.  When  the  disease  occurs  in  mares  that  have  once  foaled, 
it  may  be  confounded  with  hysteritis,  (inflammation  of  the  womb.) 
In  order,  therefore,  that  the  reader  shall  be  able  to  draw  a  distinct 
line  between  the  two  diseases,  we  inform  him  that  hysteritis  gen- 
erally occurs  a  few  days  after  delivery,  or  abortion ;  and  on 
examining  the  vagina,  it  appears  augmented  in  bulk;  its  lining 
membrane  redder  than  usual,  and  the  anus  free  from  those  vio- 
lent twitchings  and  loss  of  motor  power  which  are  present  in 
hysteria. 

Symptoms  of  Hysteria.  —  A  mare  during  the  menstrual  period, 
or  perhaps  a  few  days  subsequent,  will  be  seized  with  a  paroxysm 
resembling  a  fit;  although  there  is  no  cerebral  apoplexy  nor 
stertorous  breathing,  (symptoms  of  cerebral  disease,)  and  lies  or 
falls  down,  and  while  the  paroxysm  lasts  is  unable  to  get  up  again  : 
during  this  brief  period  the  pulse  is  accelerated;  respirations 
rapid ;  the  flanks  are  bedewed  with  moisture ;  there  is  a  peculiar 
rigidity  of  the  muscles  of  locomotion,  attended  with  paralysis  of 
the  hind  limbs  :  as  the  paroxysm  declines,  the  use  of  the  limbs 
is  gradually  restored ;  the  animal  becomes  more  calm  ;  the  pulse 
lessens  in  volume  and  beats ;  the  respirations  become  more  nat- 
ural. At  this  stage,  the  owner  of  the  mare  may  observe  that  she 
is  not  herself,  (as  the  saying  is,)  being  excessively  nervous  and 
irritable,  and  is  excited  by  the  least  noise :  the  mare,  however, 
gradually  becomes  calm,  and  then  is  suddenly  seized  with  another 
paroxysm  ;  or  they  may  follow  each  other  in  rapid  succession,  in 
which  case  death  often  puts  an  end  to  the  scene,  or  it  results  in 
cerebral  disease.  Veterinary  Surgeon  Haycock  remarks,  that 
out  of  three  mares  attacked  with  hysteria,  two  of  them  every  now 
and  then  strained  violently,  and  ejected,  per  vaginam,  excessive 
quantities  of  coffee -colored  urine,  which  consisted  principally  of 
blood :  this,  as  far  as  the  author's  observation  goes,  has  not  been 
confirmed.  Our  observations,  however,  have  only  extended  over 
a  few  cases ;  in  which  we  noticed  that  the  animals  passed  neither 
dung  nor  urine  until  they  arose,  and  then  the  urine  was  but 
slightly  colored. 

Treatment.  —  It  is  useless  to  give  medicine  while  the  patient  is 
in  a  paroxysm ;  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  give  the  animal,  while 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  207 

down,  an  injection  of  warm  water  and  salt,  to  which  add  an  ounce 
or  two  of  tincture  of  assafoetida ;  let  the  external  surface  be  well 
rubbed  with  wisps  of  coarse  straw  ;  as  soon  as  the  fit  is  over,  give 
a  drench  of 

Powdered  assafoetida,  ....  2  drachms, 

Tincture  of  valerian,     ....  1  ounce, 

Sirup  of  garlic, 2  ounces, 

Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

If  the  animal  be  not  relieved  in  the  course  of  six  hours,  repeat 
the  dose,  and  clear  out  the  bowels  with  a  dose  of  glauber  salts,  to 
which  add  a  small  quantity  of  ginger. 

HYSTERITIS.  —  (Inflammation  of  the  Womb.) 

The  causes  of  inflammation  in  the  wromb  are,  difficult  and  pro- 
tracted labor,  abortion,  and  retention  of  placenta  or  foetal 
envelopes.  Mares  most  subject  to  this  disease,  as  well  as  prema- 
ture expulsion  of  the  foetus,  are  the  plethoric ;  it  generally  comes 
on  a  few  days  after  labor,  and,  unless  early  arrested,  will  terminate 
fatally.  The  objects  in  treating  this  disease  are,  to  contract  the 
womb,  (encircle  the  loins  with  cold  water  bandages,)  and  palliate 
urgent  symptoms  ;  keep  the  animal  on  gruel,  and  give  a  pint  of 
bethwort  tea  every  four  hours;  attend  to  the  state  of  the  bowels; 
if  they  are  torpid,  give  a  pint  of  olive  oil,  and  follow  it  up  with 
flaxseed  tea.  Should  the  disease  be  connected  with  vaginitis, 
(inflammation  of  the  vagina,)  the  treatment  is  the  same,  with  the 
addition  of  cold  water  to  the  pudendum. 


FEVER  IN  HORSES. 


Fever  should  not  always  be  treated  as  disease;  for,  in  a  great 
majority  of  cases  it  is  only  symptomatic  of  some  local  or  general 
derangement. 

Fever  is  the  same  in  its  essential  character  under  all  circum- 
stances and  forms  which  it  exhibits.  The  different  "grades,"  as 
they  are  termed,  are  but  varieties  of  the  same  condition,  produced 


208  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

by  variations  in  the  prevailing  cause,  or  regulated  by  the  amount 
of  vital  power  in  each  given  case,  and  are  therefore  an  index 
pointing  to  the  progress  of  the  disease,  operating  to  ward  off  the 
malady  and  restore  health.  An  eminent  physician  has  said, 
"  Our  indications  of  cure  and  modes  of  treatment  are  to  be  learned 
from  those  manifestations  of  the  vital  operations  uniformly  wit- 
nessed in  the  febrile  state.  If  fever  marks  the  action  of  the 
healing  power  of  nature,  which  we  must  imitate  to  be  successful, 
why  should  we  not  consult  the  febrile  phenomena  for  our  rule  of 
action  ?  Now,  what  are  the  indications  of  cure  which  we  derive 
from  this  source  ?  In  other  words,  what  are  the  results  which 
nature  designs  to  accomplish  through  the  instrumentality  of  fever? 
They  are  an  equilibrium  of  the  circulation,  a  properly-propor- 
tioned action  of  all  the  organs,  and  an  increased  depuration  of  the 
system,  principally  by  the  excrementitious  outlets." 

Suppose  a  horse  shall  be  suffering  from  a  form  of  disease  known 
as  gastro-intestinal,  occasioned  by  an  accumulation  of  partly- 
digested  food  within  the  stomach;  the  mass  acts  as  an  irritant, — 
an  exciting  cause,  —  and  the  result  is  inflammation,  (local  fever  ;) 
then  general  excitement,  or  sympathetic  action,  which  is  manifest- 
ed by  increase  in  number  and  volume  of  pulse,  hurried  respira- 
tion, superficial  heat,  &c.  Now,  it  is  evident  that  the  inflam- 
mation—  local  fever  —  is  not  confined  to  the  stomach  alone,  but 
becomes  general,  as  we  have  just  said,  through  the  sympathetic 
relations.  The  effect  of  this  general  abnormal  condition  is  to 
mitigate  the  force  of  the  disease  on  the  primary  tissue,  or  tissues, 
to  shift  the  weight  of  the  burden,  and  so  apportion  it  to  the  sev- 
eral parts  of  the  system,  as  to  lessen  its  intensity. 

The  heat  at  the  external  surface  shows  that  the  circulation  is 
active.  "  Without  heat  there  is  no  vitality  in  the  system,"  and 
without  blood  there  is  no  heat.  Then  the  blood  must  be  sent  to 
the  surface  for  the  purpose  of  relieving  the  internal  organ,  and 
therefore  fever  must,  under  some  circumstances,  be  considered 
favorable  to  the  cure  of  disease.  Hence  the  reader  will  perceive 
that  the  practitioner  -whose  creed  is,  "  The  more  fever  the  more 
bloodletting,"  is  one  of  the  greatest  opponents  nature  has  to  deal 
with,  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  so  many  animals  are  said  to  die  of 
fever:  it  is  most  probable,  however,  that  many  die  from  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  209 

treatment.  The  practice  of  indiscriminate  drenching,  under  the 
circumstances,  with  salts  and  aloes,  may  sometimes  prove  just  as 
destructive  as  the  injudicious  use  of  the  lancet;  for  purgatives  of 
this  character  act  on  the  alimentary  surfaces  as  mechanical  irri- 
tants, and  then  and  there  set  up  a  pathological  action,  to  counter- 
act which  nature  recalls  her  forces  from  the  external  surface,  and 
employs  them  in  the  vicinity  of  parts  where  they  were  not  wanted, 
until  man's  unwise  interference  conflicted  with  the  well-planned 
arrangement ;  in  short,  made  nature  turn  a  somerset.  When  the 
increased  action  and  heat  are  manifested  on  the  surface,  does  it 
not  prove  that  the  different  organs  are  acting  harmoniously  in 
self-defence  ?  Is  not  this  same  action  manifested  through  the 
same  channels  in  a  state  of  health  ?  And  if  morbific  materials 
are  present  in  the  system,  and  are  the  cause  of  fever,  will  the 
mode  of  evacuation  be  different  from  that  of  health?  Certainly 
not.  Hence  the  marked  tendency  of  fever  to  evacuation  by  the 
skin  in  profuse  perspiration,  from  the  nostrils  in  the  form  of 
catarrh,  by  the  bowels  as  in  diarrhoea,  and  lastly,  by  abscess. 
Therefore  the  great  secret  of  curing  diseases  consists  in  accurately 
observing  by  what  critical  evacuations  nature  casts  off  whatever 
may  be  the  cause  of  her  infirmities,  and  in  following  and  assisting 
her  agreeably  to  her  indications,  for  she  acts  with  great  regularity. 
When  an  animal  has  taken  cold,  and  there  is  power  in  the  sys- 
tem to  keep  up  a  continual  warfare  against  encroachments,  the 
disturbance  of  vital  action  being  unbroken,  the  fever  is  called 
pure  or  persistent.  Emanations  from  animal  or  vegetable  sub- 
stances in  a  state  of  decomposition  or  putrefaction,  or  the  noxious 
miasmata  from  marshy  lands,  if  concentrated,  and  not  sufficiently 
diluted  with  atmospheric  air,  enter  into  the  system,  and  produce 
a  specific  effect.  In  order  to  dethrone  the  intruder,  who  keeps 
up  a  system  of  aggression  from  one  tissue  to  another,  the  vital 
power  arrays  her  artillery,  in  good  earnest,  to  resist  the  invading 
foe ;  and  if  furnished  with  the  munitions  of  war  in  the  form  of 
sanative  agents,  she  generally  conquers  the  enemy,  and  dictates 
her  own  terms.  While  the  forces  are  equally  balanced,  which 
may  be  known  by  a  high  grade  of  vital  action,  it  is  also  called 
unbroken  or  pure  fever.  The  powers  of  the  system  may  become 
exhausted  by  efforts  at  relief,  and  the  fever  will  be  periodically 
18* 


210  11  IE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

reduced;  this  form  of  fever  is  called  remittent.  By  remittent 
fever  is  to  be  understood  that  modification  of  vital  action  which 
rests  or  abates,  but  does  not  go  entirely  off  before  a  fresh  attack 
ensues.  It  is  evident  in  this  case,  also,  that  nature  is  busily  en- 
gaged in  the  work  of  establishing  her  empire ;  but  being  more 
exhausted,  she  occasionally  rests  from  her  labors.  It  would  be 
as  absurd  to  expect  that  the  most  accurate  definition  of  fever  in 
one  animal  would  correspond  in  all  its  details  with  another  case, 
as  to  expect  all  animals  to  be  alike.  There  are  many  names 
given  to  fevers ;  for  example,  we  have  milk  or  puerperal  fever, 
symptomatic,  typhus,  inflammatory,  &c.  Veterinary  Surgeon 
Percivall,  in  an  article  on  fever,  says,  "  We  have  no  more  reason 

—  not  near  so  much  —  to  give  fever  a  habitation  in  the  abdomen, 
than  we  have  to  enthrone  it  in  the  head ;  but  it  would  appear 
from  the  full  range  of  observation,  that  no  part  of  the  body  can 
be  said  to  be  unsusceptible  of  inflammation,  (local  fever,)  though, 
at  the  same  time,  no  organ  is  invariably  or  exclusively  affected." 

From  this  we  learn  that  disease  always  attacks  the  weakest 
organs.  The  same  author  continues,  "All  I  wish  to  contend  for 
is,  that  both  idiopathic  and  symptomatic  fevers  exhibit  the  same 
form,  character,  species,  and  require  the  same  general  means  of 
cure ;  and  that,  were  it  not  for  the  local  affection,  it  would  be 
difficult  or  impossible  to  distinguish  between  the  one  or  the 
other." 

Dr.  White,  V.  S.,  says,  "  Some  practitioners  do  not  admit  the 
existence  of  fever  in  the  horse  as  a  primary  disorder,  [they  are 
sensible  men,]  but  consider  it  as  a  symptom  dependent  on  inter- 
nal disease.  Then  why  not  attend  to  the  internal  disease,  instead 
of  attempting  to  cure  the  fever?  It  would  be  a  very  difficult  task 
for  us  to  convince  mankind  generally  that  fever  does  not  require  to 
be  treated  as  the  real  enemy  ;  for  fevers  are  very  fashionable  dis- 
eases, and  it  is  a  very  easy  matter  to  convince  a  man  that  his  horse 
has  '  got  a  fever'  and  he  is  always  willing  to  pay  for  its  treatment." 

Mr.  Blaine,  V.  S.,  refers  only  to  three  different  kinds  of  fever 

—  the  common  or  simple  fever,  symptomatic  fever,  and  malignant 
epidemic  fever.  Mr.  White,  V.  S.,  thus  refers  to  fever :  "  The 
fevers  of  horses  (for  it  is  of  little  importance  whether  we  call 
them    fevers   or   inflammation)     are    generally  connected   with 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  211 

inflammation  either  of  the  mucous  or  serous  membranes,  or  both ; 
in  other  words,  fever  may  be  of  the  catarrhal  kind,  as  in  the 
epidemic  catarrh,  or  the  violent  influenzas  which  sometimes  pre- 
vail in  the  spring  or  beginning  of  summer.  Fever  may  affect 
the  mucous  surface  of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  when  it  causes 
great  languor  and  debility." 

The  day  is  not  far  distant,  when  a  practitioner  will  as  soon 
think  of  confining  his  treatment  to  scraping  off  a  patient's  coaled 
tongue,  when  suffering  from  a  bilious  attack,  as  to  think  of  treating 
the  febrile  manifestations  of  a  local  disease  in  the  horse,  in  view 
of  curing  the  latter. 

Our  own  definition  of  fever  is,  that  it  is  a  symptom  of  disease 
arising  in  consequence  of  sympathy  of  the  system  with  disease  in 
some  particular  part.  Pleurisy,  for  example,  consists  in  inflam- 
mation of  the  serous  membranes  within  the  thorax ;  and  at  the 
commencement,  and  indeed  during  the  various  phases  of  the 
malady,  fever  may  be  present,  manifesting  itself  in  the  usual 
manner  ;  but  are  we  to  treat  the  fever,  the  mere  manifestation  of 
the  disease  —  pleurisy?  or  shall  we  not  find  it  .more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  principles  of  reason  to  endeavor  to  cure  the 
latter?  Fever  is  present  in  all  cases  of  an  inflammatory  charac- 
ter; therefore  we  would  warn  our  readers  not  to  let  fever  in  the 
horse  so  engross  their  attention  as  to  overlook  the  real  malady. 
Next  to  inflammation,  fever  is  the  great  scarecrow  of  the  em- 
pyric,  when,  in  fact,  there  is  nothing  very  alarming  about  tile 
fever  itself;  yet  it  leads  us  into  the  by-paths  of  ignorance;  for 
if  there  were  not  previous  disease,  there  could  be  no  fever,  so  that 
he  who  merely  treats  fever  is  playing  the  part  of  mountebank  to 
the  disease  then  present.  A  few  illustrations  will  serve  to  ex- 
plain :  A  man,  for  example,  manifests  paroxysms  of  cold,  hot, 
and  sweating  stages  ;  these  phenomena  may  prevail  in  different 
degrees,  and  their  mode  of  succession  vary ;  but  if  the  three  differ- 
ent stages  are  evident,  the  case  is  called  intermittent  fever.  Now, 
"  dissections  of  those  who  have  died  of  intermittent  fever  show 
a  morbid  state  of  many  of  the  viscera  of  the  thorax  and  abdo- 
men ;  but  the  liver,  and  organs  concerned  in  the  formation  of 
bile,  as  likewise  the  mesentery,  are  those  which  are  usually  most 
affected."  —  Hooper.     Why,  then,  should  men  trifle  with  the  lives 


212  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

of  their  patients  in  curing  fevers  of  this  type,  when  such  impor- 
tant organs  as  the  above  are  the  primary  ones  involved  ?  Then, 
again,  in  cases  of  typhoid  fever,  post  mortem  examinations  re- 
veal inflammation  of  the  brain  and  viscera,  and  more  particu- 
larly of  the  stomach,  intestines,  and  Peijers  glands.  Is  it  not 
reasonable,  then,  for  us  to  suppose  that  fevers  —  the  febrile 
symptoms  —  appear  subsequently  to  the  above  diseases?  that 
they  develope  them  in  so  slow  and  insidious  a  manner  as  not 
to  be  noticed  until  what  men  are  pleased  to  denominate  fever 
sets  in ;  this  being,  at  that  stage  of  the  disease,  the  most  marked 
symptom  ;  and  not  having  the  privilege  of  inspecting  the  patient's 
internal  organization,  and  of  course  being  in  the  dark  as  to  what 
is  going  ou  there,  we  jump  at  the  conclusion  that  the  patient  has 
some  sort  of  a  fever,  and  name  it  according  to  its  type  and  in- 
tensity.    It  is  then  treated  secundum  artem, 

A  horse  may  all  at  once  show  signs  of  febrile  phenomena ;  but 
who  is  so  wise  as  to  be  able  to  demonstrate  that  an  error  in  gen- 
eral management  had  not  previously  deranged  the  equilibrium  of 
the  vital  forces  ere  the  first  symptom  of  fever  appeared  ?  So 
in  the  case  of  a  cow,  the  subject  of  puerperal  fever :  she  may 
have  been  for  months  in  a  state  of  plethora,  (an  abnormal  con- 
dition,) which  is  generally  the  case  with  such  animals;  the  dis- 
ease perhaps  has  been  in  a  state  of  incubation  for  some  time,  but 
at  length  it  arrives  at  a  stage  when  the  vital  forces  succumb  —  a 
general  febrile  state  speedily  follows  —  hence  the  fever  is  not  the 
real  malady.  Our  limits  will  not  admit  of  further  discussion 
under  this  head,  other  than  to  remark,  that  this  as  the  age  of 
reason,  —  "godlike  reason,"  —  and  the  world  should  be  dotted 
over  with  medical  investigators,  who  are  willing  to  solve  the 
problems  of  disease  and  health  according  to  the  principles  of 
reason,  disregarding  the  stereotyped  conclusions  of  by-gone  days. 

Three  forms  of  fever  occurring  in  the  horse  are  alluded  to  by 
the  author  of  Hippopathology.  1st.  Common  fever;  2d.  Idio- 
pathic ;  and,  3d.  Symptomatic.  The  first  is  but  a  general  dif- 
fuse inflammation.  The  second  arises  without  any  apparent 
local  injury;  and  the  third  from  some  local  cause  or  irritation. 
The  above  distinguished  author,  however,  is  evidently  aiming  at 
perfection,  for  he  has  classed  these  three  under  the  signification 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  213 

of  "  one  common  kind ; "  and  he  also  alludes  to  two  of  a  kind 
that  are  uncommon,  which  he  names  specific,  arising  from  some 
special,  mysterious,  or  unknown  cause.  —  See  Hippopathology, 
vol.  i.  p.  149. 

Treatment  of  Fever.  —  Under  the  iron  heel  of  medical  despot- 
ism, we  are  bound  to  "  arrest  its  progress,  and  to  mitigate  its 
violence."  But  suppose  we  do.  Are  our  patients  any  better 
off?  The  records  of  the  past  will  show.  A  rational  system  of 
veterinary  medicine  contemplates,  in  the  treatment  of  febrile 
symptoms,  nothing  more  than  a  kind  of  expectancy.  If  ttie  patient 
be  in  the  cold  stage,  administer  warm  diffusible  stimulants  and 
diaphoretics,  aided  by  warmth  and  moisture  externally  ;  friction 
on  the  extremities,  and,  if  necessary,  stimulating  applications  to 
the  chest  and  extremities.  In  the  hot  stage,  and  when  the  super- 
ficial heat  of  the  body  is  great,  cooling  drinks  are  indicated  ; 
water,  acidulated  with  cream  of  tartar,  makes  a  good  febrifuge. 
The  patient  may  be  occasionally  sponged  with  weak  saleratus 
water.  The  alkali  has  a  beneficial  effect  on  the  cutaneous  vessels, 
while  the  water  lessens  the  temperature  of  the  body.  No  treat- 
ment, however,  can  be  of  any  rational  use,  unless  it  contemplates 
a  restoration  of  the  healthy  equilibrium  of  the  whole  system. 
Let  the  doctor  treat  the  disease,  and  a  good,  attentive  groom 
can  manage  the  fever. 

SIMPLE   SCARLET   FEVER.  —  (Scarlatina.) 

Mr.  Percivall,  in  referring  to  scarlatina,  says,  the  first  ac- 
count of  it  was  published  by  himself  in  the  Veterinarian  for 
1834.  "  This  since  has  received  such  confirmation  from  other 
quarters  as  to  leave  no  doubt  in  my  mind  that,  rare  as  the  malady 
acknowledgedly  is,  and  hitherto  undescribed  as  it  has  remained,  it 
i  will  one  day  find  a  place  in  our  established  veterinary  nosology." 

It  is  difficult  to  say  to  what  extent  scarlatina  prevails  in  this 
country,  for  there  are  very  few  persons  qualified  to  define  such  a 
disease  ;  in  fact,  the  majority  of  men  do  not  know  that  such  an 
affection  ever  manifests  itself  in  horses.  From  the  fact,  however, 
that  we  have  seen  two  cases  within  the  past  four  years  occurring 
in  this  city,  we  are  led  to  suppose  that  it  may,  at  certain  seasons, 
prevail  to  some  extent. 


214  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  symptoms  are  very  minutely  defined  in  the  following  arti- 
cle by  Surgeon  Haycock  :  — 

"  Simple  Scarlatina.  —  This  form  of  the  disease  usually  ap- 
pears in  association  with  epidemic  catarrh  :  it  seldom,  or,  perhaps, 
never  manifests  itself  simultaneously  with  epidemic  catarrh,  but 
usually  on  the  third  or  fourth,  and  even  as  late  as  the  sixth  day 
from  the  commencement  of  the  former.  The  animal  affected  with 
catarrh  will,  perhaps,  be  fed  and  left  at  night  in  what  may  be  con- 
sidered a  fair  way  of  recovery  ;  but  when  the  attendant  enters  the 
stable  on'the  morning  following,  the  patient  may  be  found  affected 
in  a  very  peculiar  manner  ;  the  hair  about  the  neck,  the  fore  and 
hind  limbs,  will  be  elevated  in  blotches,  while  the  limbs  themselves 
will  be  found  in  a  swollen  condition.  The  blotchy  elevations, 
generally  speaking,  are  not  large,  but  they  are  exceedingly  char- 
acteristic of  the  malady.  If  the  hand  be  pressed  lightly  over 
them,  scarcely  any  corresponding  elevations  can  be  found  upon 
the  skin  beneath.  The  mucous  membrane  of  the  nose  will  have 
upon  it  a  few  scarlet  spots  of  variable  size ;  the  pulse,  in  some 
instances,  will  be  increased  in  action  considerably,  while  in  oth- 
ers, even  when  the  disease  appears  most  severe,  not  so  much. 
If  the  epidemic  catarrh,  or  the  disease  under  which  the  patient 
labors,  be  attended  with  soreness  of  throat,  that  soreness  may  be- 
come greatly  increased,  or  it  may  not.  Sometimes  the  blotchy 
elevations  are  confined  to  the  hind  limbs,  and  the  scarlet  spots 
to  the  membrane  of  one  nostril,  while  in  other  cases  all  these 
symptoms  are  present,  but  in  such  a  very  mild  degree  as  not  to 
excite  the  attention  of  any  one  but  a  closely  observing  prac- 
titioner. If,  at  this  stage  of  the  disease,  the  animal  be  judicious- 
ly treated,  and  the  stable  be  dry  and  comfortable,  the  whole  may 
pass  off  in  a  few  days  without  any  further  mischief  ensuing  ; 
but  if  the  treatment  be  improper,  the  stable  cold  and  damp,  and 
the  animal  otherwise  unfavorably  circumstanced,  it  is  probable 
that  the  disease  will  become  more  virulent,  and  either  assume 
the  malignant  form,  or  pass  into  what  is  called  '  purpura  has- 
morrhagica,'  and  the  life  of  the  animal,  in  either  state,  become 
greatly  endangered." 

Treatment.  —  This  is  one  among  the  many  diseases  which  are 
considered  self-limited ;  that  is,  they  will  run  a  regular  course, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  215 

up  to  a  certain  intensity,  and  then,  all  things  being  favorable  as 
regards  the  patient's  previous  health,  management,  &c,  the  un- 
favorable symptoms  subside  gradually,  and  the  subject  conva- 
lesces into  a  normal  condition.  Some  medical  treatment,  advice 
at  least,  may  be  needed.  A  veterinary  surgeon  should  be  con- 
sulted if  possible  ;  he  may  do  nothing  by  way  of  medical  treat- 
ment, but  his  advice  will  prove  invaluable,  and,  in  the  end,  of 
great  pecuniary  advantage  to  the  patient's  master.  The  treat- 
ment of  small-pox  or  scarlet  fever  occurring  in  human  subjects 
in  the  London  hospitals  is  a  very  simple  affair  to  what  it  was  a 
few  years  ago,  and,  in  consequence,  those  maladies  are  less  fatal 
So  with  reference  to  scarlatina  in  the  horse  —  the  medicines,  if 
any  are  indicated,  must  be  few  and  simple.  The  owner  of  the 
horse  cannot  err  in  carrying  out  a  proper  system  of  hygiene,  so 
strictly  observed  in  well-conducted  hospitals.  As  a  febrifuge, 
water  acidulated  with  cream  of  tartar  is  the  best :  this  may  be 
given  at  discretion  ;  it  allays  inflammatory  symptoms,  cools  the 
thirst,  promotes  the  secretions  and  excretions;  in  short,  is  just 
the  drink  for  a  fever  patient. 

A  kind  of  sloppy  diet  may  at  first  be  used,  composed  of 
scalded  fine  feed,  &c. ;  a  small  quantity  of  sweet  hay  will  be 
required,  to  keep  the  stomach  employed,  and  to  distend  it  to  a 
healthy  capacity ;  yet,  in  the  early  stages  of  this  disease,  we  need 
not  be  very  solicitous  about  the  quantity  of  food  necessary ;  for 
if  we  should  half  starve  the  patient  just  at  thi3  time,  it  is  of  little 
importance,  provided  he  has  an  abundance  of  good  water  and 
sloppy  gruel  to  drink.  When  the  disease  has  so  far  advanced 
as  to  exhaust  the  patient's  strength,  then  it  is  time  for  us  to 
loosen  the  string  of  the  meal  bag. 

If  the  bowels  become  constipated,  at  any  stage  during  the 
progress  of  this  affection,  a  dose  of  sulphur  and  cream  of  tartar 
(one  ounce  of  the  former,  and  half  an  ounce  of  the  latter)  may 
with  perfect  safety  be  given,  arid  also  repeated,  if  necessary.  It 
is  best  to  give  the  medicine  in  the  form  of  drench.  The  after 
treatment  depends  altogether  on  circumstances ;  if  the  patient 
has  had  a  careful  nurse  during  his  sickness,  he  may  not  require 
any  medicine. 


216  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


MALIGNANT  SCARLET  FEVER. 

Malignant  scarlet  fever  is  a  sequel  to  .the  preceding  disease, 
and  may  be  said  to  commence  where  the  other  terminates :  it  is 
difficult,  however,  to  determine  the  exact  line  of  demarcation 
where  one  ends  and  the  other  commences;  yet,  when  the  patient 
has  passed  through  the  usual  probation  of  simple  scarlatina,  and, 
instead  of  appearing  better,  grows  worse,  we  may  reasonably 
suspect  that  the  disease  will  terminate  in  the  above  form.  The 
author's  experience  is  so  limited  as  regards  the  symptoms  of  this 
malady,  that  he  prefers  to  give  those  detailed  by  Surgeon  Hay- 
cock, who  is  considered  good  authority. 

Symptoms  of  Malignant  Scarlet  Fever.  —  "  The  patient  for 
some  days  may  have  manifested  what  is  usually  considered  to 
be  influenza,  or  epidemic  catarrh,  the  symptoms  of  which  will, 
for  the  most  part,  consist  of  sore  throat  of  an  obstinate  nature, 
with  fever  more  or  less  severe,  with  cough,  loss  of  appetite,  dis- 
charge of  purulent  matter  from  the  nostrils,  and  general  debility  : 
when,  suddenly,  the  whole  changes  ;  the  limbs  begin  to  swell, 
which  swelling  presents  either  an  uneven  surface,  (occupying  the 
whole  of  the  limbs,)  or  it  appears  in  lumps,  or  masses,  which  are 
both  large  and  numerous,  also  hot,  hard,*  and  painful,  while  those 
portions  of  the  skin  wrhich  are  free  from  such  swelling  present 
the  blotchy  elevations  so  common  to  the  simple  form  of  scarlatina. 
The  membrane  of  the  nose  becomes,  also,  covered  with  large-sized 
spots  of  an  intense  scarlet  color,  while  from  the  nostrils  is  dis- 
charged a  mixture  of  blood,  purulent  matter,  and  serum.  At 
this  stage,  the  soreness  of  the  throat  becomes  excessive,  accom- 
panied, of  course,  with  a  corresponding  degree  of  difficulty  in 
swallowing;  the  cough  also  becomes  wrorse,  and  of  a  suffocating 
character.  The  pulse  increases  in  number,  reaching,  at  times, 
90,  or  even  100,  beats  per  minute,  and  is  always  of  a  wreak  or 
feeble  character.  The  swollen  limbs  are  excessively  tender,  and 
if  the  patient  be  left  alone,  he  will  stand  for  hours  nailed,  as  it 
were,  to  one  place  and  in  one  position ;  it  is  only  with  the  great- 
est difficulty  that  he  can  be  made  to  move  at  all.  As  the  disease 
proceeds,  or  assumes  more  intensity,  large  blisters  or   vesicles 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  217 

appear  upon  the  limbs,  particularly  around  the  joints ;  these 
vesicles  burst,  and  discharge  a  bright  amber-colored  fluid,  which 
is  very  corrosive  in  its  effects  on  the  adjoining  skin.  In  other 
cases  again,  some  extreme  portion  of  the  organism,  such  as  the 
ears,  for  example,  will  suddenly  present  a  blanched  appearance, 
the  skin  of  these  organs  will  shrink,  and  become  hard  and  dry, 
as  though  frozen,  and  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  these 
blanched  portions  snap  off,  leaving  a  raw  surface,  which  speedily 
suppurates.  The  appetite  entirely  disappears,  and  the  secretion 
from  the  bowels  becomes  checked,  and  what  is  denominated  con- 
stipation ensues  ;  the  urine  is  scanty,  and  of  a  thick,  yellow,  or 
brown  color.  In  the  course  of  twenty  or  twenty-four  hours  from 
the  commencement,  (and  in  many  cases  even  less,)  the  scarlet 
spots  on  the  membrane  of  the  nose  enlarge  and  pass  into  the 
purple-colored  patches,  and  these  patches  slough,  and  leave  a 
raw  surface,  from  which  is  secreted  an  abundance  of  purulent 
matter ;  at  the  same  time,  a  similar  sloughing  goes  on  around 
the  joints,  where  the  blisters  or  vesicles  first  appeared.  If  the 
animal  does  well,  the  fever  will  generally  abate  (in  the  milder 
states  at  least)  about  the  fourth  or  fifth  day  from  the  commence- 
ment of  the  more  acute  stage,  while  in  the  more  malignant  kinds 
it  is  seldom  that  a  change  for  the  better  occurs  before  the  seventh 
or  eighth  day." 

Treatment.  —  The  medicines  must  be  of  a  stimulating,  anti- 
septic, and  laxative  character —  stimulants,  of  a  permanent  char- 
acter, to  arouse  vital  action,  and  carry  on  the  various  functions 
of  the  body ;  antiseptics,  to  arrest  decomposition,  and  ward  off 
the  typhoid  state  ;  laxatives,  to  carry  off  the  morbid  products, 
as  fast  as  they  accumulate  within  the  digestive  surface.  The 
disease  is  now  supposed  to  have  invaded  all  the  tissues,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  and  requires  to  be  promptly  met  with 
medicines  of  this  description,  aided  by  a  nutritious  diet  easily 
digested,  such  as  coarse  oatmeal,  dry,  or  in  the  form  of  thick 
gruel ;  equal  parts  of  flour  and  fine  feed  may  also  be  used  in 
this  view,  with  an  allowance  of  boiled  roots  —  carrots,  potatoes, 
parsnips,  or  beets.  Every  means  that  the  urgency  of  the  case 
demands  must  be  put  in  force  to  make  the  animal  as  comfortable 
as  possible.  The  rectum  must  be  occasionally  emptied,  by  means 
19 


218  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

of  injections ;  and  if  the  throat  be  sore,  or,  from  any  other 
cause,  the  patient  cannot  swallow  sufficient  food  to  support  the 
vital  forces,  his  strength  may  be  kept  up  by  nourishing  enema  — 
beef  tea,  flour  gruel,  &c. ;  at  all  events,  a  supply  of  hay  tea, 
thickened  with  some  farinaceous  substance,  ought  to  be  kept  in 
the  crib  ;  it  is  a  tempting  delicacy  to  sick  horses,  and  they  often 
give  it  the  preference  to  all  other  kinds. 

The  following  compound  is  considered  the  best,  in  view  of 
fulfilling  the  indications  just  alluded  to  :  — 

Powdered  capsicum, 1  drachm, 

"         charcoal, £  ounce, 

"        cubebs, 2  drachms, 

Sulphur, 6  drachms. 

To  be  given  at  a  dose.     How  this  shall  be  given  is  not  for  the 

author  to  say  ;  that  will  depend  on  circumstances.     The  throat 

may  be  sore  ;  in  that  case  it  will  not  be  prudent  to  drench  the 

patient;  hence  it  must  be  introduced  into   the    stomach  along 

with  the  food.     The  patient  may  have  no  disposition  to  eat ;  if 

so,  we  must  give  him  medicines  of  less  bulk,  which,  through 

patience  and  care,  we  may  at  last  succeed  in  getting  down  the 

throat.     Our  remedy  then   is   brandy  and  salt,   in   wine-glass 

doses,  or 

Tincture  of  capsicum,      ....     1  ounce, 

Linseed  oil, 4  ounces, 

Fir  balsam, 1  ounce. 

In  the  event  of  the  patient  not  swallowing  the  whole  of  this,  it 
will  have  the  effect  of  lessening  the  pain  within  the  throat,  even 
should  it  only  come  in  contact  with  the  mucous  surfaces.  Let 
the  medicines  be  given  in  broken  doses,  at  intervals  of  a  few 
minutes ;  in  this  way  we  may  succeed,  even  should  the  throat  be 
sore. 

The  blotches  over  the  body  should  be  sponged  daily  with 
alkaline  wash  —  weak  ley  of  wood  ashes,  or  saleratus  water. 
So  soon  as  abscesses  appear,  they  are  to  be  moistened  with 

Pyroligneous  acid, 4  ounces, 

Water, 1  pint. 

The  case  will  very  soon  be  decided;  the  patient  will  either 
grow  worse,  or  shoW  symptoms  of  amendment ;  if  he  should, 
however,  appear  better,  the  above  treatment,  with  the  addition 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  219 

of  some   tonic  medicine,  such  as   gentian   or   goldenseal,  may 
gradually  complete  the  cure. 

TYPHUS  FEVER. 

Disease  of  the  above  type  is  more  frequent  in  the  "Western 
than  in  the  Eastern  States,  and  more  commonly  occurs  among 
cattle  than  horses  :  the  main  features  of  it  consist  in  a  tendency 
to  rapid  putrescence  of  the  solids  and  fluids,  and  great  prostra- 
tion :  it  is  generally  complicated  with  disease  of  the  lungs  or 
intestines.  Its  diagnostic  symptoms  are,  pulse  quick,  soft,  and 
feeble  ;  tongue  coated  with  a  yellow-brown  fur  on  its  centre  ;  its 
margins  are  of  a  light-red  color,  and  cracks  or  fissures  are  occa- 
sionally observed.  The  teeth  have  lost  their  natural,  and  are 
now  of  a  dark  brown  color  ;  the  gums  are  red,  and  discharge  an 
ichorous  fluid ;  the  breath  is  very  offensive ;  the  color  of  the 
nasal  membranes  almost  resembles  that  of  the  tongue  ;  yet  they 
more  frequently  present  symptoms  of  pulmonary  congestion,  hav- 
ing, however,  a  dry  appearance,  with  dark,  reddened  patches. 
The  eyes  are  suffused,  and  the  countenance  has  an  expression 
of  turgidity.  If  typhus  is  complicated  with  pulmonary  disease, 
the  respirations  are  hurried  and  the  bowels  sluggish.  When 
connected  with  intestinal  disease,  the  dung  is  slimy,  £>lack,  and 
fetid  ;  pressure  in  the  abdominal  region  elicits  signs  of  pain. 
There  is  also  great  thirst  and  loss  of  appetite.  On  carefully 
passing  the  hand  over  the  patient's  body,  we  discover  a  morbid 
heat,  and  perhaps  some  elevations  or  eruptions.  These  are  the 
diagnostic  symptoms  ;  others,  common  to  various  diseases  of  a 
low  febrile  type,  are  present,  varying  in  duration  and  intensity, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  case.  Post  mortem  examinations 
show  no  other  constant  pathological  changes  that  can  be  depended 
on  ;  so  that  the  external  signs  appear  of  more  value  to  the  sur- 
geon than  the  internal.  Its  last  stages  are  marked  by  a  putrid 
type  ;  mortification  puts  an  end  to  the  patient's  sufferings.  We 
consider  the  disease,  at  a  certain  stage,  both  contagious  and  in- 
fectious. (For  treatment,  see  Malignant  Scarlet  Fever.)  The 
prophylactic  means  are,  ventilation,  cleanliness,  nutritious  diet, 
and  fumigation. 


220  l  UK    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 


PUTRID    FEVER. 

This  disease  is  somewhat  rare  in  this  section  of  the  United 
States,  but  sometimes  prevails  to  an  alarming  extent  in  the  South- 
western. The  following  communication  was  lately  received  by 
the  author  from  a  veterinary  surgeon  of  Pennsylvania  :  — 

"  Buckingham,  November  26,  1853. 

"  Respected  Friend  :  Agreeable  to  promise,  I  will  now 
endeavor  to  give  you  some  of  the  causes,  symptoms,  diagnoses, 
prognoses,  and  treatment  of  the  disease  that  has  recently  been 
prevailing,  not  only  with  your  horses,  but  with  many  others,  in 
different  sections  of  Bucks,  Montgomery,  and  New  Jersey  — 
with  horses  differently  fed,  exercised,  stabled,  and  groomed,  as  is 
common  to  arise  from  the  different  avocations  and  peculiar  views 
of  their  different  owners.  I  have  never  attributed  the  disease 
to  any  kind  of  feed,  exercise,  stabling,  or  grooming,  particularly ; 
but  I  attribute  the  remote  cause  of  the  disease  to  atmospheric 
influence,  and  the  proximate  cause  to  debility,  however  induced. 
This  theory  of  the  cause  of  the  disease  I  will  endeavor  to  give 
you  some  reasons  for.  First,  the  disease  has  always  prevailed 
to  a  much  greater  extent  in  the  fall  of  the  year  than  at  any 
other  time,  when  the  weather  is  frequently  changing  from  heat 
to  cold,  and  from  cold  to  heat. 

"  A  change  from  cold  to  heat  has  a  relaxing  and  debilitating 
effect  upon  the  whole  system ;  the  perspiration  flows  freely  on 
the  least  exertion,  showing  great  relaxation  of  the  skin ;  and 
when  the  horse  is  in  this  relaxed  condition,  perhaps  the  weather 
changes  suddenly  to  a  cold,  damp,  north-east  wind.  This  change 
makes  a  great  demand  upon  the  caloric  of  the  system,  or,  in 
other  words,  extracts  a'  great  proportion  of  animal  heat,  closes 
the  pores  of  the  skin,  thereby  throwing  the  perspiration  back 
upon  the  internal  vital  organs,  which  impedes  their  free,  full,  and 
healthy  functions  —  particularly  so  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  when 
the  horse  is  changing  his  summer  for  his  winter  coat,  or  what  is 
called  the  moulting.  As  the  moulting  is  a  process  extending 
over  the  whole  of  the  skin,  requiring  a  very  considerable  expen- 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  221 

diture  of  vital  power,  which,  taken  in  conjunction  with  the  other 
causes  hinted  at  above,  renders  the  horse  more  susceptible  or 
predisposed  to  diseases  of  a  low  grade,  such  as  I  am  now  consid- 
ering, that  energy  and  nervous  and  vital  influence,  which  should 
support  the  whole  frame,  are  in  the  moulting  season  to  a  great 
degree  determined  to  the  skin,  and  the  horse  is  languid,  and  un- 
able to  bear  as  much  hard  work  as  at  other  seasons  of  the  year ; 
and  if  he  is  pressed  beyond  his  strength,  he  will  be  liable  to  be- 
come seriously  ill,  and  that  illness  will  be,  in  a  great  majority  of 
cases,  of  a  low,  malignant,  or  typhoid  type,  in  which  the  system 
is  never  able  to  react,  so  as  to  produce  a  disease  of  an  infiani-' 
matory  order.  Hence  the  frequency,  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
of  the  disease  in  question,  which  consists  essentially  in  a  great 
pi'ostration  of  the  living  2^'1'inciple.  In  some  attacks  of  this  dis- 
ease, it  is  so  severe  that  it  destroys  life  in  the  space  of  from  six 
to  twelve  hours,  and  on  examination  of  the  cadaver  after  death, 
there  will  scarce  be  the  slightest  trace  of  the  disease  left  behind ; 
because  the  force  of  the  cause  of  the  disease  was  so  powerful 
that  it  took  life  at  once,  as  if  it  had  been  taken  by  a  blow  on  the 
head,  or  as  if  a  large  dose  of  arsenic  had  been  given,  which 
immediately  destroys  the  power  of  the  system  to  produce  heat 
and  nervous  energy,  and  death  takes  place  without  any  reaction, 
or  without  leaving  any  perceptible  effects  of  the  poison  behind. 
Precisely  so  is  it  with  this  disease  when  it  takes  life  without  re- 
action. But  if  the  attack  is.  not  severe  enough  to  destroy  life 
under  three  or  four  days,  there  will  be  some  reaction,  and  traces 
of  gangrenous  imfiammation  may  be  discovered,  on  dissection, 
to  have  taken  place  on  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  windpipe, 
lungs,  &c.  And  again,  in  a  still  milder  attack,  where  the  horse 
will  linger  along  from  a  week  to  two  or  three  weeks,  his  whole 
body  becomes  one  mass  of  putrefaction,  and  wholly  unfit  to  be 
even  cast  to  the  dogs.  Such,  then,  is  the  malignant  nature  of 
the  disease  produced  by  poisonous  agents  in  the  air,  acting  on 
horses  predisposed  to  receive  it.  It  not  unfrequently,  when  it 
prevails  as  an  epidemic,  destroys  two  thirds  of  those  attacked. 
Bidding  defiance  to  every  remedial  means,  it  boldly  marches  on 
its  course,  until  its  work  of  destruction  is  complete,  and  then  it 
seems  as  if  occupying  the  desolated  spot  in  triumph. 
19  * 


222  I  UK    MODERN    HOHSE    DOCTOR. 

"  Symptoms.  —  The  first  or  premonitory  symptoms  of  putrid 
fever  are  a  peculiar  wrangling  of  the  body  and  striding  of  the 
limbs,  as  if  the  horse  was  conscious  of  his  inability  to  walk.  At 
the  same  time,  there  will  be  some  difficulty  of  swallowing,"  and 
some  thirst ;  the  horse  will  appear  as  if  drinking  a  great  deal, 
and  will  delight  to  continue  at  the  water  a  long  while,  when  in 
fact  he  is  getting  little  or  none  down.  These  symptoms  are  soon 
followed  by  extreme  muscular  debility  —  a  weak  and  intermitting 
pulse.  The  horse  gets  down,  is  totally  unable  to  rise,  or  to 
swallow  either  food  or  drink ;  not  from  any  swelling  or  obstruc- 
tion in  the  throat,  but  from  want  of  strength  in  the  muscles  of 
deglutition  to  perform  their  functions.  lie  lies  on  his  side,  paws 
with  his  fore  feet,  struggles,  and  seems  in  great  distress ;  now 
commences  breathing  short,  rattles  in  the  windpipe,  (which  is 
full  of  a  substance  like  lively  soap  suds,  which  exudes  from  the 
mucous  surface  of  the  windpipe  and  bronchial  tubes,)  coughs  so 
as  to  shake  the  entire  frame,  although  it  is  a  peculiarly  weak, 
ineffectual  cough,  brings  nothing  up,  nor  does  it  afford  any  relief. 
From  the  weakness  of  the  circulation,  there  will  be,  at  every 
round  thereof,  more  or  less  of  blood  deposited  in  the  lungs,  till 
they  become  congested,  or  filled  with  blood.  This  congestion  of 
the  lungs  is  often  mistaken  by  inexperienced  persons,  as  well  as 
those  poor  in  diagnosis,  for  primary  inflammation  of  them,  and 
the  lancet  is  resorted  to,  (although  the  pulse  would  forbid  its  use 
if  they  knew  how  to  consult  it,)  which  hurries  on,  at  a  rapid 
rate,  the  very  congestion  which  they  were  expecting  to  relieve, 
by  producing  still  greater  debility  in  the  system,  which  is  the  sole 
cause  of  the  congested  condition  which  the  lungs  are  frequently 
found  in  after  death.  In  some  cases  a  great  discharge  of  saliva 
takes  place  from  the  mouth  ;  breath  very  offensive  ;  bowels  cos- 
tive, and  when  a  discharge  does  take  place  from  them,  it  is  gen- 
erally covered  with  a  white,  slime-like  substance,  though  in  some 
instances  a  purging  takes  place,  but  by  no  means  a  common 
occurrence ;  legs  and  ears  cold ;  the  heat  of  the  skin  is  generally 
too  low,  although  in  some  rare  instances  it  rises  to  a  high  degree, 
and  is  acrid  and  burning  to  the  touch.  The  countenance  ex- 
presses some  anxiety.  His  eyes  preserve  their  healthy  look  till 
near  death,  when  tears  may  be  seen  rolling  around  in  them. 


THE    MODERN    IloRsE   DOCTOR.  223 

"  Diagnosis.  —  It  may  be  distinguished  from  inflammatory  sore 
throat  by  the  sudden  and  great  prostration  of  strength ;  by  the 
putrid  tendency  in  the  system ;  by  the  typhoid  type  of  the  fever, 
and  low,  intermittent  pulse,  and  putrid  smell  of  the  breath.  There 
is  no  soreness  evinced  when  the  throat  and  windpipe  are  pressed 
between  the  fingers,  nor  is  there  any  pain  manifested  in  making 
an  effort  to  swallow,  as  there  is  in  inflammatory  sore  throat. 

"Prognosis.  —  Favorable:  The  countenance  preserving  its 
natural  state  ;  the  look  firm  and  clear ;  respiration  not  disturbed  ; 
pulse  but  little  altered ;  but  slight  difficulty  in  swallowing ;  the 
prostration  of  strength  not  great,  the  horse  continuing  to  feed 
without  an  increased  secretion  of  saliva. 

"  Unfavorable  :  Extreme  anxiety  of  countenance  ;  difficult  res- 
piration ;  great  prostration  of  strength,  without  the  power  to 
swallow  either  food  or  drink,  although  they  will  continue  to  try 
almost  constantly ;  copious  flow  of  saliva,  of  a  tenacious,  white 
appearance  ;  increased  arterial  action,  with  diminished  muscular 
power ;  unable  to  stand  but  for  a  short  time,  and  almost  constantly 
struggling  whilst  down,  and  if  turned  on  his  breast,  the  nose  will 
rest  on  the  ground ;  he  has  not  strength  sufficient  to  hold  it  up. 

"  Treatment.  —  In  attacks  where  the  prostration  of  strength  is 
not  great,  give  a  drachm  of  camphor  and  half  an  ounce  of  nitre, 
both  finely  pulverized  and  dissolved  in  half  a  pint  of  warm  water, 
and  give  as  a  drench  every  six  hours,  till  you  give  two  doses  ; 
then  omit  one  dose,  and  give  one  ounce  of  powdered  aloes,  and 
half  an  ounce  of  capsicum,  dissolved  in  a  pint  of  warm  water ; 
drench  wTith  it,  but  never  raise  the  head  higher  when  drenching 
than  is  unavoidable,  taking  especial  care  not  to  strangle  him.  In 
six  hours  after  giving  the  physic,  commence  with  the  camphor 
and  nitre  as  before,  and  give  it  every  six  hours,  till  it  has  con- 
siderable of  a  diuretic  effect,  or  till  the  horse  shows  symptoms  of 
returning  health,  when  three  doses  in  twenty-four  hours  will  be 
sufficient.  But  if  the  horse  should  be  losing  strength,  the  nitre 
must  be  left  out,  and  from  two  to  four  drachms  of  capsicum  added 
to  the  camphor  in  its  place,  and  given  every  four  or  six  hours. 
Should  the  physic  not  operate  in  twenty-four  hours,  half  the  above 
quantity  must  be  given  ;  it  is  not  proper  that  severe  purging 
should  be  produced,  but  sufficiently  so  to  warrant  the  belief  that 
the  alimentary  canal  has  been  thoroughly  cleansed. 


224  THE  MODERN  HOE8E  DOCTOR. 

"  But  should  he  still  be  losing  strength,  in  taking  the  capsicum 
and  camphor  he  must  have  added  to  them,  night  and  morning, 
from  three  to  four  drachms  of  finely-powdered  cascarilla.  Injec- 
tions must  be  used  twice  a  day  whilst  the  bowels  are  costive, 
composed  of  half  an  ounce  of  castile  soap  to  a  quart  of  warm 
water,  and  four  ounces  of  epsom  salts  dissolved  in  a  quart  of  warm 
water,  alternately.  The  throat  must  be  gargled  every  two  hours, 
with  a  tea  made  by  pouring  half  a  gallon  of  boiling  water  on  six 
drachms  of  capsicum,  and  when  cool  add  a  pint  of  good  vinegar. 
The  throat  externally  must  be  well  rubbed  with  the  following 
mixture  three  or  four  times  a  day  :  half  a  pint  spirits  of  harts- 
horn, ditto  of  turpentine,  ditto  of  camphor,  all  mixed  and  kept 
well  corked.  If  the  horse  is  down  and  unable  to  get  up,  he  must 
be  helped  whenever  he  struggles  to  get  up. 

"  I  have  now  given  you  a  short  outline  of  the  causes,  symp- 
toms, treatment,  &c,  as  you  desired  me  to  do.  I  have  not  car- 
ried out  in  detail  the  different  heads  alluded  to  as  I  could  have 
desired,  but  I  trust  the  hints  which  I  have  thrown  out  will  dispel 
some  of  the  doubts  and  darkness  that  hang  over  this  disease  ;  and 
if  the  prescriptions  here  given  are  timely  and  judiciously  applied, 
they  will  arrest  the  disease  in  a  number  of  cases,  and  stay  the 
astonishing  waste  of  property  that  we  so  frequently  hear  of. 
"  With  respect,  I  remain  your  friend, 

"Isaiah  Michener,  V.  S." 


DISEASES  OF  THE  MOUTH. 

SLAVERING.  —  {Augmented  Salivary  Secretion.*) 

Slavering  horses  are  frequently  met  with  in  farming  districts, 
where  clover  is  used  as  an  article  of  fodder.  There  seems  to  be 
some  peculiar  property  about  the  flowers  of  clover  which  renders 

*  Shoicing  the  abundance  of  the  Salivary  Secretion.  —  Mr.  Charles  Dickens,  a 
veterinary  surgeon  of  Kimbolton,  lias  taken  the  trouble  to  ascertain  the  amount 
of  saliva  secreted  by  a  parotid  gland;  he  was  enabled  to  make  the  experiment 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  225 

them  a  source  of  great  irritation  to  the  mucous  surfaces  and  sali- 
vary apparatus  of  the  horse.  Some  horses,  however,  will  partake 
of  clover  without  the  least  inconvenience  ;  in  fact,  they  "get  used 
to  it,"  as  the  saying  is,  and,  with  the  addition  of  other  grain, 
grow  fat  and  sleek. 

Lobelia  and  tobacco  have  about  the  same  effect  on  some  green 
horses  as  clover,  always  inducing  an  increased  flow  of  saliva. 
These  articles  may  induce  an  increased  secretion  of  this  fluid  in 
two  ways :  — 

1.  By  irritation  ;  the  article  coming  in  direct  contact  with 
highly  sensitive  secretory  surfaces,  which  always  pour  out  their 
fluids  on  the  application  of  an  irritant,  so  long  as  it  remains  an 
irritant,  and  provided  the  parts  retain  their  normal  sensibility. 

2.  Through  the  medium  of  absorbents :  thus  calomel  affects  the 
salivary  glands,  and  causes  them  to  secrete  and  pour  forth  an 
amount  of  fluid  at  times  almost  incredible.  Any  irritating  body 
placed  within  the  horse's  mouth  may  produce  an  increased  flow 
of  saliva.  It  is  the  custom  among  horsemen  in  Hungary,  to  place 
on  the  horse's  bit  a  small  piece  of  corrosive  sublimate,  or  arsenic, 
and  very  soon  he  begins  to  foam  at  the  mouth,  which  is  considered 
a  mark  of  high  temper ;  and,  strange  to  write,  his  general  ap- 
pearance improves  —  he  gains  flesh;  the  coett  lies  smooth  and 
sleek  ;  he  is  all  life  and  ambition.  But  the  day  of  reckoning 
comes;  the  poison  accumulates  in  the  system,  and  the  high- 
mettled  plethoric  steed  loses  all  his  artificial  qualities,  so  much 
admired ;  his  mettle  and  ambition  desert  him,  his  muscles  shrink, 
and  he  soon  becomes  food  for  the  ravens  and  other  beasts  of  prey. 
The  sharp  edges  of  a  worn-down  tooth,  or  a  tooth  in  a  state  of 
ulceration,  may  give  rise  to  profuse  salivation ;  then  again,  a 
rough  bit,  and  a  hard  master  may  be  set  down  among  the  direct 
causes  of  this  complaint. 


on  a  horse  which  was  the  subject  of  fistulous  parotid  duct.  He  found  that, 
while  the  animal  masticated  hay,  from  eight  to  ten  drachms  of  saliva  per  minute 
flowed;  but  if  the  jaws  were  quiet,  from  six  to  eight  drachms  only.  Now,  if  we 
take  the  medium  at  one  ounce  per  minute,  and  suppose  an  equal  secretion  from 
the  opposite  gland,  it  will  fall  little  short  of  a  gallon  per  hour,  in  a  compara- 
tively small  animal.  Adding  to  this,  therefore,  the  submaxillary,  sublingual, 
&c.,  secretions,  the  amount  secreted  in  a  given  time  must  be  very  great. 


22b  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

Lastly.  Indifferent  fodder  of  any  kind,  and  impaired  diges- 
tive organs,  are  apt  to  produce  augmented  salivary  secretion. 

Treatment.  —  The  causes  must  be  diligently  sought  for,  and  if 
practicable,  ought  to  be  removed :  this  important  step  may,  of 
itself,  procure  relief.  If  the  trouble  can  be  traced  to  a  cari- 
ous tooth,  let  it  be  extracted,  or  should  the  edges  of  a  tooth 
irritate  the  inside  of  the  cheek,  apply  the  tooth  rasp,  and  make 
all  smooth.  If  any  irritation  exists  about  the  glands  of  the 
throat  and  mouth,  apply  a  stimulating  application  to  them, 
composed  of  hartshorn  and  olive  oil.  When  the  malady  is 
supposed  to  originate  in  consequence  of  the  presence  of  some 
obnoxious  article  in  the  fodder,  change  the  diet,  and  give  the 
following :  — 

Powdered  bayberry  bark, "] 
"         gum  myrrh, 

"         goldenseal,         >  of  each  1  ounce. 
"         ginger,  I 

"         sulphur,  ) 

Mix;  divide  the  mass  into  eight  parts,  and  mix  one  mjine  feed, 
night  and  morning. 

In  some  cases  we  have  used  gargles,  composed  of  decoction  of 
witch  hazel,  bayberry  bark,  tincture  gum  catechu,  and  a  solution 
of  alum,  either  of  which  is  good  when  an  astringent  is  indicated. 
There  are  cases,  however,  that  often  bafrle  our  utmost  skill,  such, 
for  example,  as  are  supposed  to  depend  on  some  lesion  of  the 
nervous  structure,  known  by  a  partial  paralysis  of  one  side  of 
the  face. 

Mr.  Cox  relates,  in  the  Veterinarian,  the  case  of  a  cow,  "which 
was  said  to  be  constantly  slavering,  and  more  so  when  she  was 
ruminating.  The  symptoms  were,  one  eye  half  closed,  caused 
by  inability  to  raise  the  eyelid ;  the  ear,  on  the  same  side,  hang- 
ing down  ;  and  likewise  the  upper  lip  on  the  same  side.  It  was 
evidently  an  attack  of  paralysis  which  was  the  cause  of  these 
appearances.  The  treatment  was,  blisters  applied  round  the 
base  of  the  ear,  &c,  and  laxative  medicines  given.  In  a  month 
she  appeared  well. 

"Another,  having  the  same  symptoms,  was  cured  by  a  like 
treatment. 

"  Another  case  yet,  of  like  symptoms  and  treatment,  with  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  227 

addition  of  the  insertion  of  setons,  never  recovered ;  her  eyelid, 
and  ear,  and  side  of  her  lip,  remained  down,  and  she  continually 
kept  slavering,  until,  at  last,  I  lost  sight  of  her. 

"  I  knew  a  mare  in  which  the  saliva  ran  out  of  the  mouth  in  a 
most  astonishing  manner.  The  cause  I  found  to  be  a  slight 
attack  of  paralysis  on  one  side  of  the  upper  lip. 

"  My  attention  was  once  directed  to  a  cow  that  had  been  slaver- 
ing for  upwards  of  nine  months  previous.  Gallons  of  saliva 
might  be  caught  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours.  I  examined 
this  cow  over  and  over  again,  but  never  could  find  any  apparent 
cause  for  the  morbid  secretion.  She  had  milked  well  the  greater 
part  of  the  time,  and  had  never  failed  in  her  appetite.  Although 
she  had  become  very  poor,  she  was  sold  to  a  slink  butcher.  I 
had  not  an  opportunity  of  making  a  post  mortem  examination. 
The  person  that  opened  her  could  discover  '  nothing  the  matter.' 

"  In  another  case  of  a  cow,  which  presented  the  symptoms  of 
the  case  last  described,  and  which  had  been  amiss  about  a  month, 
we  treated  thus  :  a  gentle  purge  was  first  given  ;  afterwards,  an 
occasional  stimulant  and  tonic  were  administered  ;  and  the  region 
of  the  parotid  and  submaxillary  glands  well  blistered ;  and  this 
was  repeated.     She  ultimately  recovered." 

INFLAMMATION   OF   THE   TONGUE  —  {Glossitis.) 

This  is  generally  supposed  to  arise  from  injury  to  the  tongue ; 
but  cases  frequently  occur  that  cannot  be  traced  to  this  source. 
We  treated  a  case  of  this  kind  occurring  in  a  horse,  the  property 
of  Mr.  Thomas  Bancroft.  The  animal  had  performed  his  usual 
labor,  when,  on  putting  him  up  at  night,  the  tongue  was  observed 
to  be  swollen,  and  the  tip  protruding  on  one  side.  On  careful 
examination,  no  lesion  nor  injury  of  any  kind  could  be  found. 
Next  day,  the  tongue  was  enormously  swollen,  so  that  the  pa-" 
tient  was  unable  to  close  the  nippers ;  he  had  also  inflammato- 
ry sore  throat,  and  considerable  fever.  The  treatment  consisted 
in  applying  stimulating  liniment  to  the  throat ;  the  mouth  was 
kept  constantly  moist  with  salt  and  water,  occasionally  cram- 
ming a  handful  of  salt  between  the  jaws;  he  subsisted  on  thin 
oatmeal  gruel,  acidulated  with  cream  of  tartar,  and  got  well  in 


228  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

six  days,  without  any  medicine.  Another  case  was  treated  in 
the  same  manner,  which  ended  in  abscess  under  the  jaw,  and  the 
subject  quickly  recovered. 

At  times,  inflammatory  action  runs  high,  when  it  will  be 
necessary  to  give  a  dose  of  glauber  salts;  dose,  ten  ounces. 

WOUNDS   OF  THE  TONGUE. 

It  is  very  fortunate  for  horses  that  wounds  occurring  in  this 
useful  appendage  to  the  mouth  generally  heal  very  rapidly :  all 
that  is  necessary  is,  to  let  the  animal  rest,  keep  him  on  a  sloppy 
diet,  and  apply  tincture  of  arnica  to  the  parts. 

LAMP  AS. 

So  long  as  horse  owners  believe  "  lampas  "  to  be  a  disease, 
and  men  can  be  found  to  "burn  it  out,"  as  it  is  sometimes  termed, 
just  so  long  will  the  error  exist,  and  the  barbarism  continue. 

Lampas  is  a  term  used  to  signify  a  state  of  tumefaction  exist- 
ing in  the  palate,  about  that  part  known  as  the  bars,  situated  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  upper  nippers.     The  tumefaction  arises,  — 

1.  From  local  emjrfiysema, —  windy  swelling,  —  rendering  the 
palate  elastic  and  augmented. 

2.  From  induration,  —  abnormal  increase  in  the  consistence 
of  the  palate,  —  owing  to  an  accumulation  of  dense  particles  of 
blood,  which  resist  a  free  circulation  of  that  fluid  through  the 
parts. 

3.  From  congestion,  either  passive  or  active. 

In  passive  congestion,  there  is  an  excess  of  blood,  in  conse- 
quence either  of  weakness  in  the  propelling  force,  or  of  an  obsta- 
cle to  the  exit  of  blood  from  the  congested  membrane :  this  state 
gives  rise  to  swelling  of  the  veins  in  horses'  legs  also.  Active 
congestion  is  a  determination  of  blood  to  the  part,  in  conse- 
quence of  local  irritation,  teething,  &c.  In  aged  horses  we  fre- 
quently find  the  bars  of  the  palate  in  a  state  of  hypertrophy;  but 
as  this  is  only  an  exaggeration  of  a  natural  state,  we  take  no  notice 
of  it;  in  fact,  arising  from  whatever  cause  it  may,  (except  teeth- 
ing,)   lampas   does    not   cause    the   animal   any  inconvenience. 


THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  229 

This  opinion,  we  are  aware,  will  conflict  with  that  of  a  groat 
many  horsemen,  who  make  a  practice  of  searching  a  horse's 
mouth  whenever  he  shows  the  least  signs  of  illness,  to  see  if  the 
"  lampas  are  down  ;  "  but  let  it  be  understood  that  the  bars  or 
ridges  of  a  horse's  mouth  correspond  to  the  hard  palate  in  man, 
which  every  one  knows  is  not  very  sensitive,  and  therefore  can- 
not be  the  cause  of  ill  health,  nor  prevent  the  animal  from  mas- 
ticating his  food.  Hence  the  practice  of  burning  the  bars  is  an 
unnecessary  barbarity,  which  should  never  be  countenanced. 
The  most  that  we  ever  do  in  cases  of  lampas  is  to  wash  the  mouth 
with  a  weak  solution  of  alum,  or  infusion  of  bayberry  bark  ;  but 
it  often  happens  that  subjects  with  lampas  are  brought  to  us  for 
examination,  and  in  a  great  majority  of  cases  we  find  them  la- 
boring under  some  derangement  of  the  digestive  function,  the 
restoration  of  which  allays  the  owners'  apprehensions  about  lam- 
pas. The  reader,  if  he  still  considers  that  "  something  must  be 
done  for  lampas,"  may,  possibly,  change  his  opinion  on  perusing 
the  following  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Percivall :  — 

"  Lampas  is  a  name  given  by  writers  on  farriery  to  a  swell- 
ing, or  unnatural  prominence,  of  some  of  the  lowest  ridges  or 
bars  of  the  palate.  I  should  not  have  thought  it  worth  while  to 
have  taken  up  time  with  this  supposed  malady,  but  that  it  has 
called  forth  the  infliction  of  great  torture  on  the  animal  by  way 
of  remedy,  and  that  it  has  been  a  cloak  for  the  practice  of  much 
imposition  on  those  who  have  been  in  the  habit  of  consulting 
farriers  on  the  diseases  of  their  horses.  I  allude  to  the  cruelty 
and  barbarity  of  burning  the  palates  of  horses  so  affected :  equal- 
ly consistent  would  it  be,  and  were  it  consistent,  more  requisite, 
to  cauterize  the  palates  of  children  who  are  teething ;  for  the 
truth  is,  the  palate  has  no  more  to  do  with  the  existing  disease 
(if  disease  it  can  be  called)  than  the  tail  has.  Lampas  is  neither 
more  nor  less  than  a  turgidity  of  the  vessels  of  the  palate,  con- 
sequent upon  that  inflammatory  condition  of  the  gums  which 
now  and  then  attends  the  teething  process  ;  but  notwithstanding 
this  plain  and  simple  truth,  the  horse  continues  to  be  persecuted 
for  it,  even  by  some  professional  men,  as  well  as  farriers.  The 
practice  is  a  stigma  upon  our  national  character,  and  a  disgrace 
to  the  professors  of  veterinary  science. 
20 


230  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"  Teething  in  children  is  now  and  then  a  season  attended  with 
restlessness  and  pain,  and  was  one,  before  surgeons  were  in  the 
habit  of  using  the  gum  lancet,  of  anxiety  and  danger ;  but  it  is 
not  so  with  horses ;  they  never  have  any  feverish  irritation 
created  in  the  system,  though  they  may  have  some  tenderness 
of  the  gums  and  palate,  and  though  some  few,  in  consequence 
of  this  tenderness,  cud  their  food,  or  refuse  to  eat  any  but  what 
is  soft  and  unirritating.  In  such  a  case,  if  any  thing  requires  to 
be  done,  we  ought  to  lance  the  gums,  not  the  palate ;  but  I  do  not 
remember  ever  to  have  had  to  do  this  but  once  ;  and  this  hap- 
pened in  the  case  of  a  horse,  then  in  his  fifth  year,  which  had  fed 
so  sparingly  for  the  last  fortnight,  and  so  rapidly  declined  in 
condition  in  consequence  of  it,  that  his  owner,  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon, was  under  no  slight  apprehensions  about  his  life.  He  had 
himself  repeatedly  examined  the  horse's  mouth,  without  having 
discovered  any  defect  or  disease;  but  another  veterinary  sur- 
geon, to  whom  he  had  shown  the  animal,  was  of  opinion  that  the 
averseness  or  inability  manifested  in  masticating  food,  and  the 
consequent  cudding  of  most  of  that  taken  in,  arose  from  a  pre- 
ternatural bluntness  of  the  faces  of  the  grinders :  these  teeth, 
therefore,  were  filed,  but  no  benefit  resulted.  It  was  after  this 
that  I  saw  the  horse,  and  must  confess  that  I  was  just  as  much 
at  a  loss,  in  my  first  examination,  to  offer  any  thing  satisfactory 
on  the  case  as  many  others  who  were  then  present ;  for  his  teeth 
and  mouth  appeared  to  us  all  to  be  perfect  and  healthy.  As  I 
was  ruminating,  however,  after  my  inspection,  on  the  apparently 
extraordinary  nature  of  the  case,  it  struck  me  that  I  had  not 
seen  the  tusks.  I  immediately  betook  myself  to  a  reexamina- 
tion, and  then  discovered  two  little  tumors,  red  and  hard,  in  the 
situations  of  the  posterior  tusks,  which,  when  pressed,  appeared 
to  give  the  animal  insufferable  pain.  I  instantly  took  a  pocket 
knife,  and  made  crucial  incisions  through  these  prominences 
down  to  the  teeth,  from  which  time  the  horse  recovered  his  ap- 
petite, and  was  restored." 

Tumefaction  of  the  mouth,  arising  from  whatever  cause  it 
may,  indicates  cooling  and  astringent  washes :  a  weak  solution 
of  alum  will  probably  answer  every  purpose,  with  which  the 
mouth  may  be  sponged  two  or  three  times  daily;  an  infusion  of 
witch-hazel  or  bay  berry  bark  will  answer  the  same  purpose. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  231 

A  hot,  tender,  or  inflamed  mouth,  unattended  with  disease, 
may  be  relieved  in  the  same  manner. 

APHTHA,   OR  THRUSH. 

This  disease  of  the  mouth  is  very  common  among  young 
horses.  It  consists  of  small  red  patches  and  vesicles  on  the  in- 
side of  the  cheeks,  also  on  the  tongue.  The  mouth  is  hot  and 
feverish,  and  the  animal  will  frequently  allow  the  food  to  fall  out 
of  it,  from  inability  to  masticate.  The  principal  means  to  be  em- 
ployed are,  a  paste  made  of  equal  parts  of  honey  and  powdered 
bayberry  bark  or  borax ;  the  parts  to  be  anointed  every  night. 
To  promote  healthy  action  and  purify  the  blood,  give 

Flowers  of  sulphur, 1  ounce, 

Powdered  goldenseal ,    ....    2  ounces, 
"  sassafras, 1  ounce. 

Mix  ;  divide  into  four  parts,  and  give  one  every  night  in  scalded 
shorts.     This  treatment  applies  to  all  classes  of  live  stock. 

DENTITION.  —  {Teething.) 

There  is  no  doubt  that  a  colt  sometimes  suffers  considerable 
pain  from  teething,  in  consequence  of  the  resistance  which  the 
teeth  encounter  from  unyielding  gums.  The  pain  does  not  arise, 
as  some  suppose,  from  the  point  of  the  tooth  pressing  upward 
against  the  gum,  but  from  the  downward  pressure,  —  the  roots  of 
the  tooth  compressing  the  dental  nerve,  —  consisting  in  local  irri- 
tation, which,  if  not  relieved,  deranges  a  part  or  the  whole  of  the 
nervous  system.  The  remedy  is  a  sharp  gum  lancet.  Make  an 
incision  right  down  to  the  point  of  the  tusk,  or  tooth,  and  the 
animal  generally  experiences  relief.  If  he  labor  under  sympa- 
thetic fever,  appears  irritable  and  nervous,  give  him  a  drachm  of 
assafoetida  in  thin  gruel,  keep  the  bowels  soluble,  and  let  the  diet 
be  light. 

SHARP  AND  PROJECTING  TEETH. 

Owing  to  the  unequal  wear  of  some  horses'  teeth,  their  edges 
project  and  become   sharp ;  they  are   then  apt  to  irritate  and 


232  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

wound  the  mucous  membrane  on  the  inside  of  the  cheek.  In  such 
cases  we  notice  an  increased  flow  of  saliva,  imperfect  mastica- 
tion, and  loss  of  flesh.     The  remedy  is  a  mouth  rasp. 

BISHOPING. 

Bishoping  consists  in  making  artificial  marks  on  horses'  teeth, 
to  give  them  the  appearance  of  youth.  It  is  a  species  of  im- 
position so  reprehensible  that  all  honest  horse  dealers  have  set 
their  faces  against  it,  and  we  are  not  aware  that  it  is  to  any  ex- 
tent practised  here.  Mr.  Youatt  says,  "  It  is  called  bishoping 
from  the  name  of  the  scoundrel  who  invented  it.  The  horse  of 
eight  or  nine  years  old  is  cast,  and,  with  an  engraver's  tool,  a  hole 
is  dug  in  the  now  almost  smooth  surface  of  the  corner  teeth,  and 
in  shape  and  depth  resembling  the  mark  in  a  seven-year  old 
horse.  The  hole  is  then  burnt  with  a  heated  iron,  and  a  perma- 
nent black  stain  is  left ;  the  next  pair  of  nippers  are  sometimes 
lightly  touched,  to  imitate  the  brown  color  of  the  natural  mark." 
However  dexterously  the  operation  may  be  performed,  the  fraud 
is  easily  discovered  by  those  who  are  in  the  habit  of  examining 
teeth.  If  the  horse  is  aged,  it  may  be  known  by  the  general 
appearance ;  such  as  gray  hairs,  sunken  eyes,  deep  hollows  above 
them.  The  bones  are  prominent ;  lips  flabby ;  and  the  nippers 
of  the  lower  jaw,  instead  of  appearing  angular,  approach,  as  the 
animal  advances  in  years,  to  the  horizontal. 


LAMENESS  PROM  STRAIN  AND  OTHER  CAUSES. 

OBSERVATIONS  ON  LAMENESS. 

The  principal  difficulty  surgeons  meet  with  in  the  treatment 
of  lameness  is,  that  their  services  are  not  called  into  requisition 
in  the  first  instance,  —  so  soon  as  the  trouble  is  discovered, — 
some  owners  thinking  that  the  lameness  is  too  slight  to  lay  the 
animal  up,  and  therefore  they  work  him,  hoping  it  will  pass  off; 


THE    MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


233 


234  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

or  they  argue,  should  he  grow  worse,  it  is  then  time  enough  to 
talk  about  doctoring  him.  This  puts  us  in  mind  of  the  story  told 
about  the  sailor,  who,  having  just  left  port,  was  one  day  overhaul- 
ing his  kit,  when  out  tumbled  three  or  four  pairs  of  stockings, 
having  small  holes  in  each  heel.  His  shipmates,  knowing  him  to 
be  a  married  man,  let  off  a  few  jokes  at  his  wife's  expense,  for 
not  mending  them.  In  order  to  excuse  the  wife's  seeming  neg- 
ligence, he  stated  that  she  informed  him  just  before  he  sailed, 
that  "  the  holes  were  too  small  to  require  darning,  and  not  large 
enough  for  a  patch  ;  and  that  next  voyage  she  would  see  to  them." 
She  did  not  believe  in  the  doctrine  that  "  a  stitch  in  time  saves 
nine ; "  nor  does  the  horseman  who  waits  until  the  horse  becomes 
lamer.  And  in  the  event  of  increased  lameness,  it  is  not  always 
that  science  is  consulted,  even  at  this  stage;  for  there  are 
always  enough  men  to  be  found,  who  consider  "that  any  body  can 
doctor  a  horse"  more  especially  a  lame  one ;  and  who  are  ever 
ready  to  offer  an  opinion  as  to  the  seat  of  the  lameness,  (very  fre- 
quently an  erroneous  one,)  for  we  often  see  their  prescriptions 
applied  to  the  whirl  bone,  as  they  call  it,  when  the  lameness  is 
evidently  in  the  hock.  The  same  mistake  occurs  when  a  part  of 
the  forward  limb  is  affected.  It  would  be  quite  amusing  to  notice 
some  of  the  remedies,  from  new  rum  and  wormwood  down  to  a 
hot  shovel,  that  are  in  such  repute  among  these  amateur  savans  ; 
but  the  cause  of  science  would  not  be  benefited  by  it.  We  feel 
thankful,  however,  that  this  practice  of  doing  worse  than  nothing 
is  fast  dying  out,  and  that  more  sensible  horse  owners  begin  to 
realize  that  it  requires  just  the  same  skill  to  manage  the  diseases 
of  a  horse  as  it  does  for  those  occurring  on  the  owner.  The  very 
moment  a  horse  becomes  lame,  he  should  be  excused  from  duty, 
because,  if  it  should  be  of  a  trivial  nature,  rest  may  perform  a 
cure.  Indeed,  rest,  in  the  early  stage  of  any  sort  of  lameness,  is 
beneficial,  because  it  lessens  whatever  inflammation  may  be 
about  the  part,  which,  if  it  should  exist,  work  would  only  aggra- 
vate. If,  on  examination,  the  owner  cannot  discover  the  cause 
and  seat  of  lameness,  he  had  better  not  trust  to  his  neighbor's 
opinion,  but  consult  some  one  skilled  in  the  anatomy  of  the  horse  ; 
and  although  it  may  cost  him  a  dollar  or  two,  it  will  be  the  cheap- 
est in  the  end.      Prompt  aid  in  the  primary  stage  of  any  lame- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  235 

ness,  apparently  trivial,  might .  prevent  much  of  the  chronic 
lameness  that  we  now  see,  and  perhaps  prevent  many  a  spavin 
and  ringbone,  and  other  deformities  known  to  originate  in  liga- 
mentary  lameness.  Lameness  may  arise  from  a  great  variety 
of  causes.  A  horse  with  flat  soles  may  be  shod  so  that  the  sole 
rests  on  the  shoe,  and  while  travelling  on  soft  ground  he  may  go 
without  the  least  sign  of  lameness ;  but  the  moment  he  comes  on 
to  the  pavements,  he  all  at  once  becomes  dead  lame  from 
bruise  of  the  sole,  or  he  may  get  a  small  pebble  between  the  sole 
and  shoe,  and  thus  produce  the  same  result.  A  horse  may,  in 
travelling,  pick  zip  a  nail,  or  insinuate  some  foreign  body  into  the 
sensitive  part  of  the  foot ;  if  so,  he  soon  shows  it  by  limping  :  he 
may  not,  however,  limp  in  a  slow  walk,  but  shows  it  more  when 
urged  to  a  trot.  Knowing  how  apt  horses  are  to  pick  up  for- 
eign bodies  in  the  road,  should  an  animal  become  lame  all  at 
once,  the  driver  ought  to  dismount  and  see  if  he  can  discover  the 
lame  limb.  If  there  is  sufficient  pain  present  to  arrest  the  ani- 
mal's attention,  he  will  generally  endeavor  to  show  it  by  some 
peculiar  motion,  such  as  pointing  the  lame  foot  before  its  fellow, 
catching  it  up,  or  flexing  it.  Having  discovered  in  which  limb 
the  lameness  exists,  the  foot  must  be  carefully  examined.  By 
scraping  out  the  parts,  any  foreign  body  between  the  shoe  and 
sole  can  be  easily  got  rid  of,  and  thus  the  cause  is  removed ;  but 
if  a  nail  should  be  discovered,  it  is  not  so  easy  to  remove  it,  for 
it  often  requires  some  tact,  and  strong  pincers.  We  remember 
being  called  once  to  draw  a  nail  which  had  previously  resisted 
the  efforts  of  a  strong  man.  The  horse  had  to  be  cast,  and  it  was 
found  necessary  to  cut  round  the  nail,  so  as  to  enlarge  the  exter- 
nal orifice.  On  withdrawing  it,  the  point  was  found  to  have  been 
bent,  probably  by  coming  in  contact  with  the  coffin  bone  ;  it  had 
thus  formed  a  sort  of  hook,  which  explained  the  reason  why  it 
could  not  be  got  out  until  the  external  wound  was  dilated.  The 
horse  was  a  long  while  ere  he  recovered,  for  a  fungous  growth 
was  continually  sprouting  through  the  orifice  of  the  sole,  which 
made  the  cure  very  tedious.  The  nail  being  removed.,  we  gen- 
erally dress  with  fir  balsam,  or  mixed  soap  and  sugar,  —  which- 
ever happens  to  be  at  hand,  —  and  bind  some  oakum  on  the  part, 
to  keep  out  the  dirt.     The  subsequent  treatment  will  depend  upon 


236  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

circumstances.  For  every  other  kind  of  lameness  on  the  road, 
except  that  arising  from  the  introduction  of  a  foreign  body,  and 
provided  the  animal  is  not  actually  incapacitated  for  travel,  the 
driver  has  no  remedy  but  to  get  the  horse  to  his  quarters,  letting 
him  go  at  his  own  gait. 

We  now  come  to  the  consideration  of  the  various  kinds  of 
lameness,  which  are  to  be  discovered  either  by  the  motions 
of  the  animal,  or  through  manipulation  ;  and  wre  set  out  with 
the  understanding  that  it  is  no  easy  matter,  at  all  times,  to 
discover  the  real  seat  of  lameness ;  even  those  who  are  best 
qualified  often  disagree  both  as  to  its  seat  and  nature.  We  shall 
endeavor,  however,  in  a  very  brief  manner,  to  give  some  diag- 
nostic symptoms  by  which  an  intelligent  man,  having  some 
knowledge  of  normal  action,  may  detect  abnormal.  We  com- 
mence with 

HIP   JOINT  LAMENESS. 

This  is  a  very  rare  lameness,  although  we  constantly  hear 
complaints  that  such  a  horse  is  "lame  in  the  whirl  bone."  Over- 
exertion and  immoderate  work,  which  are  considered  the  chief 
causes  of  lameness,  are  more  apt  to  produce  it  in  the  lumbar 
region,  and  from  the  stifle  downwards,  than  at  the  hip  joint. 
This  form  of  lameness  is  quite  common  in  man,  and  frequently 
results  in  anchylosis  ;  but  we  must  recollect  that  the  limbs  of  a 
horse,  in  consequence  of  the  complexity  of  their  bony  and  carti- 
laginous structures,  are  better  calculated  to  sustain  concussion 
than  the  former.  There  is  no  joint  in  the  horse  that  is  so  well 
protected  from  blows  and  every  external  injury  as  the  thigh- 
joint  :  the  enormous  muscles  that  surround  it  act  as  cushions, 
and  successfully  guard  it  from  injury  of  this  kind.  If  a  horse 
falls  on  his  side,  and  brings  the  hind  quarters  to  the  ground  first, 
he  is  more  likely  to  injure  that  part  of  the  hip  known  as  its  an- 
terior superior  spinous  process ;  in  short,  he  knocks  the  hip 
down,  as  it  is  termed,  or  fractures  the  pelvis,  instead  of  injuring 
the  hip-joint,  as  some  would  suppose ;  and  even  should  he  slip 
down  on  the  haunches,  and  force  a  limb  outwards,  the  abductor 
muscles,  which  limit  the  action  of  it  in  that  direction,  are  more 
apt  to  be  torn  from  their  attachments,  than  that  the  joint  should 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  237 

be  injured.  Mr.  Percivall  has  remarked  that  "the  advances 
made  in  veterinary  science  have  satisfactorily  shown  that  the 
farriers'  opinion  was  for  the  most  part  founded  in  error ;  the 
halting  action,  which  they  considered  as  denoting  hip  lameness, 
more  critical  observation,  combined  with  post  mortem  results,  has 
demonstrated  to  have  its  origin  in  disease  of  the  hock,  for  the 
most  part :  indeed  in  spavin  this  disease  is  a  fruitful  source  of 
lameness  behind,  frequently  insidious  in  its  rise  and  progress, 
sometimes  difficult  of  detection,  occasionally  incapable  of  demon- 
stration ;  no  wonder,  therefore,  that  it-  should  so  often  lead  the 
unwary  and  inexperienced  into  error."  Sympathetic  lameness 
of  the  femoral  region,  however,  is  not  uncommon  ;  for  we  find 
that  long-continued  pain  in  the  foot  will  produce,  through  the 
sympathetic  relations  existing  between  remote  parts,  tenderness, 
heat,  and  sometimes  corded  glands  in  the  groin.  We  shall  not 
contend  that  lameness  never  occurs  in  this  joint,  but  that  it  is 
rare  ;  for  we  know  that,  like  other  joints,  it  is  sometimes  the  seat 
o?  synovial  inflammation,  ulceration,  and  suppuration. 

The  diagnostic  symptom  of  hip  joint  lameness  is  a  halting,  or 
kind  of  hopping  gait,  and  difficulty  in  turning. , 

Treatment.  —  Rest,  refrigerating  lotions,  and  light  diet  are  in- 
dicated in  the  inflammatory  stage  ;  and  stimulating  liniments  in 
the  chronic  form.     See  Liniments. 


LAMENESS   OF  THE  STIFLE  JOINT. 

The  bones  composing  the  stifle-joint  consist  of  the  patella, 
lower  part  of  the  femur,  and  upper  part  of  the  tibia ;  they  are 
retained  in  position  by  capsular  and  connecting  ligaments,  and 
are  liable  to  sprain  and  injury.  The  diagnostic  symptoms  of 
sprain  are  heat  and  tenderness,  and  the  limb  is  advanced  with 
difficulty :  rest,  fomentations  with  infusion  of  poppy  heads,  cold 
water,  and  sometimes  physic  will  be  the  most  proper  means  of 
cure.  For  chronic  stifle  lameness,  originating  in  adhesions,  or 
infiltrations  of  the  surrounding  tissues,  a  few  applications  of 
the  acetate  of  cantharides  will  probably  effect  a  cure. 

Horses  frequently  injure  the  parts  around  the  stifle  joint  by 
leaping  fences  and  stone  walls :  the  treatment  is  the  same  as  for 


238  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

bruise  of  any  other  part,  when  it  is  not  convenient  to  foment  — 
a  diluted  tincture  of  arnica  (one  ounce  of  arnica  to  a  pint  of 
water)  may  be  used ;  or  perhaps  a  weak  solution  of  acetic  acid 
may  answer  the  purpose.  Should  the  part  be  wounded,  as  it 
often  is,  it  may  be  necessary  to  employ  sutures ;  but  if  the  acci- 
dent is  not  discovered  early,  sutures  are  of  no  use.  The  com- 
pound tincture  of  aloes  and  myrrh  will  expedite  the  healing 
process ;  and  when  suppuration  commences,  use  pyroligneous 
acid.  We  saw  a  horse  a  short  time  ago,  which,  in  jumping  a  wall, 
ye  scrambling  over  it,  inflicted  a  wound  about  two  inches  below 
the  patella ;  considerable  tumefaction  followed,  with  a  profuse 
discharge :  the  former  yielded  to  fomentation  and  physic ;  in 
order  to  stop  the  latter  and  heal  the  wound,  it  was  thought  ad- 
visable to  introduce  a  seton  below  it,  and  there  set  up  an  arti- 
ficial discharge,  by  which  means  a  cure  was  effected.  A  horse 
may  be  punctured  in  this  region.  A  case  occurred  in  a  ship  yard 
at  Medford,  which  may  be  proper  to  notice  :  A  sliver  had  en- 
tered on  the  inside  of  the  patella,  and  passed  several  inches 
backward ;  it  was  extracted  and  dressed ;  next  day  the  limb 
from  the  hock  upwrard  became  dropsical,  hot,  and  tender :  refriger- 
ating lotions,  cathartics,  and  diuretics  were  used  ;  the  swelling 
gradually  subsided,  and  the  wound  healed ;  but  a  large  abscess 
formed  just  above  the  hock,  which  was  opened,  and  the  horse 
finally  got  well.  Another  horse,  standing  in  a  stable  in  this  city, 
was  punctured  with  a  hay  fork,  on  the  outside,  yet  close  to  the 
patella;  synovial  inflammation  and  discharge  of  synovia  took  place; 
the  case  was  protracted,  but  finally  yielded  to  astringent  injections  ; 
the  horse  was  lame  for  some  time  after,  owing  to  adhesions  that 
had  taken  place.  Punctures  of  this  character  must  be  treated 
the  same  as  open  joint.     See  Dislocation  of  the  Patella. 

LAMENESS   OF  THE  HOCK. 

Lameness  of  the  hock  is  generally  ligamentary,  except  when 
originating  in  spavin  ;  and  some  contend  that  even  spavin  first 
commences  in  ligamentary  tissue ;  however,  we  have  nothing  to 
say  about  spavin  just  now,  except  to  refer  the  reader  to  that 
article.  Lameness  in  the  hock,  from  strain,  over-work,  or  blow, 
is  evident  from  the  heat,  pain,  and  tumefaction  about  the  part ; 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  239 

the  animal  will  flinch  when  the  parts  are  handled,  and  sometimes 
catch  the  leg  up  ;  if  you  back  him  out  of  the  stall,  and  make 
him  step  forward,  it  will  be  observed  that  there  is  free  motion 
in  the  fetlock  joint  —  the  foot  is  planted  on  the  ground  with  that 
freedom  denoting  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  it ;  he  can 
raise  the  leg,  showing  that  the  stifle  joint  is  all  right ;  and  there 
is  perfect  freedom  about  the  hip  joint,  so  that  the  seat  of  lame- 
ness is  evident.  This  is  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  early  stage  : 
let  the  animal  be  the  subject  of  lameness  for  two  or  three  days, 
and  we  observe  sympathetic  affection  ;  that  is  to  say,  stiffness 
and  pain,  which  is  the  cause  of  lameness  in  a  remote  part  of  the 
limb.  And  this  peculiar  feature  is  not  one  of  singularity,  for 
we  find  the  same  thing  takes  place  in  man  :  persons  laboring 
under  hip  joint  disease  are  often  heard  to  complain  of  pain  in 
the  knee,  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  diseased  bone.  There  is 
nothing  better  for  recent  lameness  of  the  hock  than  arnica,  either 
in  the  form  of  diluted  tincture  or  infusion.  The  parts  are  to  be 
kept  wet,  by  means  of  a  sponge,  so  that  a  cooling  process  shall 
go  on  during  the  inflammatory  stage  ;  and  even  should  the  case 
prove  to  be  one  of  incipient  spavin,  such  treatment  is  well  calcu- 
lated to  meet  it.  Rest,  also,  is  one  of  the  principal  means  of 
cure :  those  who  work  a  horse  lame  in  the  hock  must  not  be 
surprised  if  he  should  ultimately  prove  spavined.  If  the  horse 
shows  symptoms  of  an  inflammatory  diathesis,  or  morbid  habit, 
a  dose  of  medicine  and  a  few  messes  of  scalded  shorts  will  do 
much  good. 

LAMENESS   OF  THE  SHOULDER. 

Lameness  is  more  apt  to  arise  in  the  shoulder  than  in  the  cor- 
responding part  of  the  hind  extremities  ;  the  latter  having  a  bony 
union  to  the  body,  which  prevents,  or  rather  limits,  undue  exten- 
sion of  the  muscles.  The  lameness  may  exist  in  the  muscular 
tissues,  or  at  the  point  of  articulation  between  the  shoulder  blade 
and  the  os  humeri. 

Symptoms.  —  The  principal  diagnostic  symptom  is,  that  the 
horse,  instead  of  advancing  the  leg  straight  forward,  moves  it  in  a 
circular  manner ;  and  the  action  of  the  shoulder  is  quite  different 
from  that  of  the  other  side ;  it  will  be  observed   also,  that   the 


240  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

animal  throws  the  weight  of  the  body  as  much  on  the  sound  side 
as  possible. 

Treatment.  —  The  treatment  of  shoulder  lameness  will  depend 
altogether  on  the  nature  of  the  case ;  if  it  be  one  of  muscular 
origin,  caused  by  heavy  drawing,  violent  tugging,  or  galloping  on 
hard  roads,  rest,  fomentations,  and  a  light  dose  of  medicine  are 
indicated.  Should  the  animal  still  be  lame  after  the  inflammatory 
symptoms  have  subsided,  use  the  following  liniment :  — 

Linseed  oil, 1  pint, 

Chloric  ether, 1  ounce, 

Oil  of  cedar, £  ounce. 

Mix  ;  and  apply  to  the  shoulder  night  and  morning.  If  the  dis- 
ease is  confined  to  the  joint,  counter  irritants  are  indicated  :  some 
recommend  blisters.  "What  we  have  used  of  late  is  the  acetate  of 
cantharides,  to  be  applied  occasionally  over  the  parts  affected.  A 
stimulating  liniment  may,  however,  answer  the  purpose,  com- 
posed of 

Olive  oil,  p 

Spirits  camphor,       \  .     .     .     .     equal  parts. 

Tincture  of  ginger, ) 


ELBOW  JOINT  LAMENESS. 

This  joint  is  more  liable  to  disease  than  any  other  in  the  body : 
we  mean,  however,  not  to  restrict  such  disease  to  the  joint  proper, 
but  to  the  immediate  surrounding  parts,  which  go,  as  a  whole,  to 
make  up  the  joint  for  the  uses  to  which  it  is  put  in  propelling  the 
body  forward.  The  immense  muscles  which  are  attached  to  the 
point  of  the  elbow  render  it  necessary  that  the  union  between  the 
ulna  and  radius  should  be  very  strong.  The  principal  power, 
so  far  as  the  fore  limbs  are  concerned,  required  for  the  propulsion 
of  the  body,  are  to  be  found  in  this  vicinity ;  and  therefore  acci- 
dents, for  several  reasons,  are  more  apt  to  occur. 

Lameness  arises  very  frequently  in  consequence  of  synovial 
inflammation,  and  from  ulceration  of  the  cartilages  of  the  bones. 
Synovial  inflammation  arises  from  violence,  directly  or  indirectly 
applied ;  it  is  indicated  by  tenderness,  pain,  swelling,  heat,  and 
tumefaction  around  the  joint,  with  inability  of  free  motion,  &c. 
The  treatment  must  be  on  the  antiphlogistic  plan.     A  dose  of 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  241 

cathartic  medicine  should  be  given  to  lessen  the  heart's  action; 
anodyne  fomentation  of  hops  may  prove  useful ;  if  high  heat  pre- 
vails in  the  surface  of  the  lame  region,  refrigerating  lotions  —  vin- 
egar and  water  —  are  indicated;  we  have  frequently  used  arnica 
with  good  effect.  Very  little  benefit  can  be  derived  from  any 
treatment  unless  the  animal  be  kept  at  rest,  and  on  a  light  diet. 
Some  will  say  that  this  is  very  simple  treatment;  but  it  is  suitable^ 
and  the  author  has  frequently  essentially  mitigated  deep-seated 
inflammations  by  time  and  just  the  same  sort  of  treatment. 

Ulcerations  of  the  articulating  surfaces  of  the  bones  comprising 
the  elbow  joint  are  more  difficult  of  cure,  and  to  the  non-pro- 
fessional man  still  more  difficult  to  detect.  It  may  be  present 
without  any  of  the  physical  signs  by  which  deep-seated  diseases 
in  more  sensitive  tissues  are  discoverable.  If  a  horse,  however, 
is  lame  in  this  joint  for  a  great  length  of  time,  and  the  lameness 
gradually  grows  worse,  and  is  always  greater  during  exercise  or 
work,  though  a  few  days'  rest  improves  the  action  of  the  limb, 
yet  seldom  cures  it,  we  may  suspect  ulceration. 

Ulceration  may  arise  from  sub-acute  or  synovial  inflammation 
from  external  injuries,  such  as  a  kick  or  blow.  "VYe  have  a 
specimen  of  fracture  of  the  ulna,  (point  of  the  elbow,)  and  ex- 
tensive ulcerations  and  osseous  deposits  on  the  bones  entering 
into  this  joint,  following  the  injury ;  the  fracture  had  united,  but 
the  horse  was  subsequently  destroyed,  in  consequence  of  the 
incurability  of  the  ulcerations.  Ulceration  also  follows  a  breach 
of  the  synovial  membrane. 

Treatment.  —  The  bowels  are  to  be  kept  in  a  soluble  state  by 
means  of  saline  aperients  and  messes  of  scalded  shorts ;  these 
counteract  a  tendency  to  constipation,  which  is  sure  to  follow  the 
rest  absolutely  necessary  for  the  cure.  The  treatment  should  not 
be  very  active  at  first,  for  the  ulceration  may  be  only  a  sequence 
of  injury  to  the  synovial  membrane.  It  is  sufficient  to  attend  to 
constitutional  treatment,  subdue  any  morbid  diathesis  that  may 
exist,  and  sweat  the  parts  by  applying  the  following  two  or  three 
times  a  day  :  — 

Tincture  of  balm  of  gilead,  .    .    .    Bounces, 

Oil  of  cedar, 1  ounce, 

New  rurn, 1  pint. 

21 


2-12  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

In  the  later  stages  the  application  of  acetate  of  cantharides 
may  be  persisted  in.  If  the  ulcerations  are  very  superficial,  not 
involving  the  joint,  but  merely  confined  to  the  heads  of  the  bones, 
they  can  be  detected  by  manipulation,  and  we  may  entertain  some 
hope  of  restoring  the  animal  to  some  degree  of  usefulness; 
whereas,  in  the  former  disease,  our  best  efforts  and  hopes  are 
often  met  by  failure  and  disappointment. 

Lameness  from  Tumor  on  the  Elbow.  —  An  encysted  tumor  may 
make  its  appearance  just  below  the  elbow,  small  at  first,  but  grad- 
ually enlarging  to  about  the  size  of  a  man's  double  fist :  some  per- 
sons are  in  the  habit  of  excising  them.  We  saw  a  case,  a  few 
months  ago,  in  which  the  tumor,  including  the  integument,  had 
been. sliced  off,  leaving  a  most  awful  gaping  wound,  which  was 
left  to  heal  by  the  slow  process  of  granulation.  Such  an  opera- 
tion argues  but  very  little  on  the  score  of  skill  or  humanity,  and 
is  more  indicative  of  the  age  of  barbarity  than  that  of  reason. 
There  are  chronic  cases  occasionally  brought  under  the  surgeon's 
notice,  in  which  an  operation  becomes  unavoidable ;  and  that  is 
when  the  tumor  has  degenerated  into  a  dense  fibrous  mass,  and 
interferes  with  the  action  of  the  limb :  ordinary  lameness,  how- 
ever, is  not  an  accompanying  symptom,  for  many  horses  can  be 
found  in  this  city  with  medium-sized  tumors  that  are  never  known 
to  take  a  lame  step.  These  tumors  ultimately  become  indolent, 
neither  inflamed  nor  painful,  and  finally  degenerate  into  a  fibrous 
mass,  which  may  be  nothing  more  than  an  eyesore. 

Cause  of  Tumors.  —  They  may  arise,  like  tumors  in  any 
other  part  of  the  body,  from  bruise  or  accident,  and  they  some- 
times occur  without  any  visible  cause ;  we  strongly  suspect  that 
the  effused  fluid  comes  from  the  parts  above,  —  articulatory  sur- 
faces of  the  shoulder, — at  this  point  the  common  integument  being 
loose,  forms  a  sort  of  sac,  —  a  receptacle  for  the  accumulation  of 
such  fluid,  —  and  it  ultimately  becomes  enveloped  with  a  sac  of 
fibrin  formed  out  of  its  own  deposits.  Some  persons  have  sup- 
posed that  these  tumors  are  enlarged  bursas :  if  that  were  the  case, 
they  would  take  on  extensive  inflammatory  action  when  opened, 
as  bursal  sacs  invariably  do :  on  the  contrary,  they  are  punc- 
tured, setoned,  and  even  excised,  and  seldom,  if  ever,  any  high 
grade  of  inflammatory  action  results ;  so  that  they  cannot  be  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  243 

ordinary  bursal  sacs,  and  must  therefore  originate  in  effusion  of 
lymphy  fluid. 

Treatment.  —  TVre  have  now  and  then  seen  cases  of  elbow 
tumor  brought  on  by  bruising  the  parts  with  the  calking  of  the 
shoe  while  the  horse  is  lying  down  in  the  stable.  Here  the  cause 
is  evident;  we  have  a  common  bruise,  and  if  it  were  treated 
promptly  with  cooling  applications,  effusion  might  be  prevented ; 
but  it  happens  in  many  cases  that  the  injury  is  not  perceived  ; 
and  if  it  is,  very  little,  if  any,  notice  is  taken  of  it,  until,  by  a  repe- 
tition of  the  act,  a  callous  or  morbid  local  diathesis  is  confirmed, 
and  we  observe  a  chronic  tumor. 

The  treatment  then,  in  the  early  stage  of  bruise  or  injury  to 
the  part,  is  the  same  as  for  bruise  or  injury  in  any  other  location — 
mild,  soothing,  and  refrigerating.  In  the  case  of  a  chronic  tumor, 
we  first  ascertain  if  it  have  a  fluctuating  feel:  if  that  should  be 
the  case,  we  puncture  it  with  a  common  trocar,  and  canula,  or  an 
incision  may  be  made  into  it.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  we  can 
clearly  ascertain  that  there  is  a  dense  tumor  to  deal  with,  the 
best  course  is  to  cast  the  horse,  make  an  incision,  and  dissect  out 
the  tumor :  the  cavity  should  be  sponged  with  tincture  of  myrrh, 
.(to  set  up  adhesive  inflammation,)  and  the  wound  may  be  brought 
together  by  sutures,  leaving  a  small  opening  at  the  most  depend- 
ent part  of  the  sac  for  the  escape  of  pus.  In  view  of  promoting 
healthy  action,  the  part  may  be  dressed  daily,  after  being  washed, 
with  compound  tincture  of  myrrh. 

In  a  tumor  that  has  no  perceptible  origin,  but  may  be  supposed 
to  arise  in  the  manner  just  alluded  to,  viz.,  by  effusion  from  the 
scapular  surfaces,  the  moment  fluid  can  be  detected  at  the  point 
of  the  elbow,  pass  a  seton  through  it.  We  have  tried  all  the 
usual  remedies,  from  a  common  irritant  to  a  blister,  in  view  of 
absorbing  the  fluid,  and  have  found  nothing  equal  to  a  seton;  but 
it  should  be  resorted  to  early,  before  a  layer  of  fibrin  has  been 
formed. 

CURB. 

A  curb  is  an  enlargement  which  makes  its  appearance  on  the 
hind  legs,  about  two  inches  below  the  hock.  It  is  sometimes 
occasioned  by  a  blow  ;  but  the  most  frequent  cause  is  strain  of 


244  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

the  sheath  through  which  the  flexor  tendons  pass.  If  seen  in 
its  early  stage,  it  would,  in  all  probability,  yield  to  rest  and  cold 
Mater  bandages.  But  if  neglected  until  effusion  takes  place,  or 
the  surrounding  tissues  become  injected  and  thickened,  and  the 
horse  becomes  lame,  then  a  different  course  of  treatment  must  be 
adopted.     Our  usual  remedy  is 

Acetic  acid, 4  ounces, 

Powdered  bloodroot, 1  ounce, 

Turpentine 1  ounce. 

To  be  applied  to  the  part  night  and  morning  for  at  least  a  week  ; 
afterwards  to  be  bathed  daily  with  common  vinegar. 

There  are  cases,  however,  in  which  coagulable  lymph  will 
form,  and  may  thus  leave  the  parts  in  a  state  of  callosity  for 
some  time,  which  only  patience,  constant  friction,  or  the  applica- 
tion of  some  stimulant,  can  overcome.  Among  the  various  ap- 
plications in  use,  we  prefer  the  following  :  — 

Oil  of  cedar,         ^ 

"      sassafras,  S-     .     .of  each,     1  ounce, 

"      marjoram,  ) 
Soft  soap, 1  pint. 

To  be  used  daily,  always  rubbing  in  a  downward  direction. 

As  regards  exercise,  the  inflammatory  stage  requires  rest ;  and 
in  the  chronic  form,  exercise  will  be  indicated,  provided,  how- 
ever, the  horse  be  not  lame. 

NAVICULAHTIIPJTIS.  —  (Disease  of  the  Navicular  Joint.) 

Mr.  Percivall,  who  is  the  best  authority  on  navicular  disease, 
defines  navicularthritis  to  be  "  a  disease  of  the  navicular  joint, 
giving  rise  to  lameness." 

The  Nature  of  the  Disease.  —  It  consists  in  deep-seated  sprain, 
injury,  or  morbid  action,  within  the  hoof,  first  manifesting  itself 
by  inflammatory  action,  heat,  and  tenderness,  terminating  in  ad- 
hesion, ulceration,  and  caries ;  at  times,  however,  in  ossification 
of  contiguous  parts. 

Symptoms.  —  The  most  important  diagnostic  symptom  is,  that 
the  horse  generally  points  the  foot,  viz.,  advances  it,  while  stand- 
ing in  the  street  or  stable,  a  few  inches —  sometimes  more — be- 
yond its  fellow,  the  fore  feet  being  the  ones  generally  affected; 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  24i) 

the  heels  are  sometimes  hot  and  feverish,  and,  on  making  pres- 
sure with  the  finger  (into  the  space  formed  by  the  quarters  and 
pastern  bones)  in  a  dpwnward  direction,  the  horse  shows  signs  of 
pain,  There  are  times,  however,  when  symptoms  of  pain  cannot 
be  elicited  by  pressure ;  and  that  is  when  the  disease  commences 
in  the  navicular  bone,  and  before  the  sensitive  tissues  are  in- 
volyed.  But  even  should  the  disease  commence  in  the  former, 
the  horse  will  at  times  point  the  foot  forward,  and  occasionally 
be  caught  limping,  not  lame  enough  though  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  any  but  a  close  observer.  As  the  disease  progresses,  the 
heels  contract,  and  curve  towards  each  other ;  the  hoof  appears 
dry  and  brittle ;  the  sensitive  and  nutritive  tissues  are  now  in- 
volved ;  the  supply  of  synovial  fluid  is  partly  or  wholly  suspend- 
ed ;  friction  commences ;  adhesion  forms,  gluing  parts  together, 
preventing  the  free  articulation  of  the  joint;  the  horse  goes  per- 
ceptibly, yet  gradually,  lamer,  up  to  the  period  of  ulceration. 
The  final  result  is  often  fracture  of  the  navicular  bones.  The 
diagnostic  symptom — pointing  of  the  foot  —  is  a  persistent  fea- 
ture of  navicular  disease  ;  for  not  only  does  the  animal  show  it  at 
rest,  but  also,  while  travelling,  the  toe  touches  the  ground  before 
the  heel.  On  examining  a  horse's  foot,  therefore,  supposed  to 
be  the  subject  of  this  disease,  we  shall  find  the  under  surface  of 
the  shoe  worn  more  at  the  toe  than  at  the  heels.  These  symp- 
toms, coupled  with  observation  that  hard  work  aggravates  the 
lameness,  and  that  there  is  no  abnormal  action  or  enlargement 
elsewhere,  will  go  to  make  out  a  case  of  navicular  disease. 

When  both  fore  feet  become  affected,  the  horse  is  said  to  be 
groggy.  Surgeon  White  defines  grogginess  to  be  "  a  tenderness 
and  stiffness  about  the  feet,  from  hard  trotting  upon  the  road, 
which  causes  him  to  go  in  an  uneasy,  hobbling  manner,  particu- 
larly when  made  to  trot  down  a  hill  without  any  support  from 
the  bridle."  So  much  for  the  symptoms  ;  and,  in  order  to  give 
the  reader  more  light  on  the  nature  of  grogginess,  we  refer  to 
Percivall,  who  informs  us  that  "  the  epithet  groggy  was  suggested 
by  the  unsteady,  rolling,  unsafe  action  of  the  lame  horse  being  com- 
pared to  that  of  a  drunken  man."  The  pathological  researches 
of  later  times  have  demonstrated  that  groggy  lameness  ha?  ita 
origin  in  navicularthritis. 
2i  * 


246  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

If  we  except  the  few  veterinary  surgeons  that  are  scattered 
over  the  United  States,  scarcely  any  one  else  knows  any  thing 
about  the  history  or  pathology  of  this  disease.  Dr.  Wood  has 
lately  called  attention  to  it  in  an  article  published  in  the  Boston 
Cultivator ;  aside  from  this  we  do  not  remember  ever  reading 
any  thing  on  the  subject.  In  England,  the  attention  of  the  fac- 
ulty was  directed  to  the  subject  by  Mr.  Turner,  V.  S.  See 
Hippopathology,  p.  131. 

Treatment.  —  If  the  lameness  is  seen  in  the  early  stage  of  na- 
vicularthritis,  our  general  custom  is,  to  remove  the  shoe,  and  apply 
cold  poultices,  composed  of  oatmeal,  vinegar,  and  water,  to  which 
add  for  each  poultice  a  handful  of  fine  salt ;  the  poultice  is  to  be 
fairly  spread  over  the  surface  of  the  hoof  and  heels,  then  to  be 
confined  by  means  of  thin  cotton  cloth,  secured  just  above  the 
coronet.  A  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  vinegar  and  water  should 
be  kept  ready  to  moisten  the  mass  whenever  it  becomes  dry,  so 
as  to  keep  up  a  refrigerating  action  of  the  foot.  Three  or  four 
poultices  will  generally  suffice,  employing  one  every  twenty-four 
hours,  on  removing  which  the  foot  must  be  washed  with  soap 
and  water.     At  the  end  of  four  days,  substitute  for  the  poultice 

Tincture  of  arnica, 4  ounces, 

Water,       1  pint. 

Mix ;  and  sponge  the  foot  three  times  a  day.  Give  the  patient  a 
dose  of  medicine  ;  keep  him  on  scalded  shorts,  seasoned  with  salt, 
allowing  a  small  quantity  of  hay,  and  let  him  have  rest.  If  it 
should  turn  out,  on  discontinuing  the  poultices,  that  the  heels  are 
tender,  the  animal  being  unwilling  to  bring  the  frog  to  the  floor, 
some  soft  clay  must  be  placed  under  him,  and  so  disposed  of  that 
he  can  stand  on  it.  We  consider  this  treatment  best  adapted  to 
the  early  sub-acute  stage  of  the  malady.  Some  persons  recom- 
mend hot  poultices  and  fomentations ;  but  wre  prefer  cold  to  the 
inflammatory,  and  hot  applications  to  chronic  stages  of  deep- 
seated,  and  even  superficial  disease.  Should  the  case  be  one  of 
a  chronic  type,  we  follow  up  the  above  treatment  with  counter 
irritants.  A  preparation  known  as  the  acetate  of  cantharides 
(which  can  be  procured  of  the  apothecaries)  has  been,  in  our 
practice,  instrumental  in  removing  lameness  of  this  description. 
This,  however,  or  any  other  remedy,  would  have  but  little  effect 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  247 

in  restoring  a  part  to  soundness  that  was  in  a  state  of  caries. 
As  a  palliative,  we  can  with  confidence  recommend  it,  having 
witnessed  good  effects  follow  its  use. 

If  the  animal  be  not  restored  to  usefulness  under  this  treatment, 
let  him  run  to  grass,  if  the  season  permits,  having  tips  nailed  on 
the  feet  to  guard  against  fracture  of  the  hoof;  and,  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  weeks,  if  he  still  be  found  lame,  as  a  last  resort, 
neurotomy  may  be  tried.     See  Neurotomy. 

OPERATION   FOR   NEUROTOMY.  —  {Nerving.) 

Neurotomy  consists  in  a  division  or  excision  of  a  portion  of 
nervous  fibre.  The  operation  has,  to  some  extent,  received  the 
cold  shoulder  from  very  many  horsemen  in  this  country,  whose 
horses,  after  being  operated  on,  have  actually  walked  off,  leaving 
their  hoofs  behind  them.  We  feel  safe  to  say,  however,  that  this 
unfortunate  occurrence  may  have  been  the  fault  of  those  who  a 
few  years  ago  went  about  from  one  place  to  another,  operating 
without  the  requisite  skill  necessary  for  the  ultimate  success  of  the 
object,  and  destitute  of  that  knowledge  necessary  in  the  selection 
of  suitable  subjects  for  the  operation.  This  is  evidently  the  case  ; 
for  some  of  the  animals  thus  operated  on  were  the  subjects  of 
acute  laminitis  —  a  form  of  disease  that  no  regular  veterinarian 
would  ever  think  of  relieving  by  neurotomy  ;  so  that  many  who 
now  decry  neurotomy  have  had  but  a  partial  opportunity  of 
judging  of  its  merits.  If  a  man  lacking  the  requisite  skill  under- 
takes to  amputate  a  person's  limb,  and  at  a  certain  stage  of  the 
operation  fails  to  secure  the  main  artery,  and  in  consequence  the 
patient  bleeds  to  death,  where  does  the  blame  rest?  Not  with 
the  science,  —  that  has  its  regular  law  of  rule  and  contingency,  — 
but  on  him  who  thus  ignorantly  misperformed  the  operation.  So 
of  neurotomy,  if  (and  we  are  confident)  it  has  here  been  performed 
in  direct  opposition  to  the  established  rules  of  science  and  the 
principles  of  practice,  the  results  should  be  no  criterion  of  its 
general  application  or  usefulness.  Neurotomy  was  never  in- 
tended, nor  is  it  calculated,  to  relieve  every  form  of  disease 
occurring  within  a  horse's  foot,  no  more  than  trepanning  is  calcu- 
lated to  cure  all  diseases  of  the  brain  and  its  appendages ;  but  in 


248  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

a  case  of  depression,  or  when  a  small  portion  of  bone  has  pene- 
trated the  cerebral  mass,  and  the  patient  is  comatose,  relief  by 
trephine  is  almost  with  absolute  certainty  calculated  on.  Hence 
we  advise  the  readers  not  to  be  over-hasty  in  judging  of  the 
value  of  this  surgical  operation,  until  they  have  satisfied  them- 
selves that  the  operators  were  qualified  to  select  suitable  subjects 
for  it.  For  it  is  only  calculated,  like  many  others,  to  give  relief 
in  certain  morbid  conditions,  and  at  a  certain  progressive  stage 
of  the  infirmity.  The  author's  experience,  as  regards  the  utility 
of  the  operation,  is  rather  limited,  he  having  only  performed  it 
in  a  few  isolated  cases,  and  then  at  the  particular  request  of 
the  subjects'  owners.  Many  horses  have  been  brought  to  him 
as  subjects  for  neurotomy,  laboring  under  chronic  diseases  of 
the  foot,  for  the  cure  of  which  he  has  preferred  other  means, 
with  probably  better  success  than  might  have  attended  the  oper- 
ation. We  have  always  maintained  that  in  the  event  of  a  lame 
horse  being  restored  to  usefulness  after  being  neurotomized,  it  is  no 
proof  that  he  might  not  have  been  restored  by  less  objectionable 
means.  We  shall  now  furnish  the  reader  with  some  of  the  views 
of  Professor  Percivall,  whose  works,  occupying,  as  they  do,  so 
elevated  a  position  in  veterinary  literature,  are  consulted  author- 
itatively. Our  quotations  must  be  incomplete,  —  merely  a 
synopsis,  —  in  consequence  of  our  prescribed  limits. 

Mr.  Percivall  awards  the  credit  of  introducing  neurotomy  into 
veterinary  practice  to  Surgeon  Moorcroft;  and  to  Professor 
Sewell,  he  argues,  "  belongs  the  credit  of  practically  demonstrat- 
ing its  utility  for  the  removal  of  foot  lameness  of  a  navicular- 
thritic  description ;  also  as  a  remedy  for  the  removal  of  lame- 
ness in  cases  where  medicine  is  confessedly  powerless,  together 
with  the  serviceability  of  neurotomized  horses,  not  for  driving 
only,  but  for  riding,  and  even  for  hunting."  Mr.  Moorcroft's 
views  regarding  the  operation  are  learned  from  a  passage  which 
occurs  in  a  letter,  communicated  by  him,  eighteen  years  after  his 
first  operation,  to  the  editor  of  the  Calcutta  Journal. 

u  *  *  *  I  recollect  not  the  number  of  horses  operated  on 
by  me  successfully,  though  it  was  somewhat  considerable.  Some 
of  these  were  worked  by  myself;  and  the  general  impressions  on 
my  mind  at  this  interval  are,  that  horses  so  operated  on,  when 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  249 

they  did  not  again  become  lame,  were  more  apt  to  stumble  with 
the  limb  operated  than  with  the  other,  and  that  this  mode  of  treat- 
ment was  likely  to  be  more  usefully  applicable  to  coach  horses 
than  to  horses  intended  for  single  harness  or  for  the  saddle. 

"  The  remote  Effects  from  Neurotomy  looked  for.  —  Whether 
the  nutritive  and  secretory  functions  of  the  foot,  deprived  of 
nervous  power,  would  proceed  as  before ;  and,  further,  what  dif- 
ference neurotomy  might  make  in  the  animal's  action  or  tread 
upon  the  ground.  Moorcroft  had  observed  that,  under  the  loss 
of  nervous  energy, '  the  repairing  powers  of  the  foot  were  not  in- 
jured so  far  as  they  depended  upon  the  action  of  blood  vessels ; ' 
and  subsequent  experience  has  confirmed  this  observation.  In- 
flammation appears  to  be  the  same  process  on  a  senseless  as  it  is 
on  a  sensitive  foot,  and  the  secretion  of  horn  goes  on  as  well  in 
one  as  in  the  other:  the  grand  and  important  difference  between 
the  two  is,  that,  supposing  the  neurotomized  foot  to  receive  a 
prick  or  bruise,  and  inflammation  and  suppuration  to  follow, 
matter  may  collect  and  burrow  underneath  the  sole  or  frog,  or 
other  part,  and  the  horse,  incapable  of  feeling  any  hurt  in  his 
foot,  can  of  course  give  no  intimation  of  mischief,  by  showing 
pain  or  lameness  to  his  groom  or  master ;  and  consequently,  un- 
less the  latter  should  detect  the  evil  himself,  suppuration -may 
proceed  to  that  extent  to  cause  the  hoof  to  separate  and  be  cast 
off  the  foot  —  a  catastrophe  which  has  happened  more  than  once, 
and  one  that  has  been  brought  forward  as  a  fearful  argument 
against  the  practice  of  neurotomy.  A  neurotomized  horse  may 
receive  a  stab,  in  being  shod,  from  a  nail  taking  a  wrong  direction, 
or  he  may  pick  up  a  nail  on  the  road,  and  no  intimation  what- 
ever of  the  injury  be  given,  unless  his  farrier  or  groom  happen 
to  discover  it.  Such  accidents,  however,  are  not  of  every  day's 
occurrence,  neither  are  they,  in  the  hands  of  expert  farriers  and 
careful  grooms,  likely  to  happen  without  their  knowledge,  and 
therefore  have  no  right  to  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  arguments 
against  neurotomy,  further  than  such  hazard,  remote  though  it 
may  be,  tends  to  the  diminution  of  such  horse's  value  in  the 
market." 

Mr.  Percivall  decides  that  "  neurotomy  not  only  destroys  the 
safeguards  of  the  foot,  but  the  horse  does  not  maintain  the  same 


250  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

step  and  tread  he  used  before."  As  an  offset  to  this,  he  intro- 
duces several  very  interesting  cases  to  show  the  benefits  derived 
from  neurotomy,  with  the  accompanying  remark,  that  "  he  feels 
convinced  that  when  the  subjects  for  the  operation  shall  have 
been  properly  selected,  and  the  fitting  time  chosen  for  its  per- 
formance, similar  results  may  be  sanguinely  and  pretty  surely 
anticipated." 

The  cases  here  referred  to  clearly  show  that  the  operation  on 
them  was  eminently  successful.  The  rule  laid  down  by  Mr.  P. 
is,  "to  operate  on  no  other  but  the  incurably  lame  horse;  and 
whenever  this  has  been  attended  to,  not  only  has  success  been 
more  brilliant,  but  indemnification  from  blame  or  reproach  has 
been  assured." 

"  To  command  success  in  neurotomy,  three  considerations  re- 
quire attention :  — 

"1.  The  subject  must  be  fit  and  proper;  in  particular,  the 
disease  for  which  neurotomy  is  performed  should  be  suitable  in 
kind,  seat,  stage,  &c. 

"  2.  The  operation  must  be  skilfully  and  effectually  performed. 

"  3.  The  use  that  is  made  of  the  patient  afterwards  should  not 
exceed  what  his  altered  condition  appears  to  have  fitted  him  for." 

A  number  of  cases  are  next  alluded  to,  going  to  show  that  "for 
lameness  in  the  foot,  coronet,  or  pastern,  incurable  or  unrelieved 
by  therapeutic  means  ;  for  navicularthritis  and  its  consequences  ; 
for  the  effects  of  chronic  coronitis  and  laminitis,  barring  sunk 
soles ;  for  ossified  cartilages,  for  ringbone,  for  contraction,  the 
operation  of  neurotomy  is  especially  applicable  —  nor  will  prac- 
titioners who  regard  their  own  credit,  or  that  of  the  operation, 
feel  desirous  of  extending,  for  lameness  at  least,  its  sphere  of 
ap  pliancy." 

Mr.  Percivall  warns  veterinary  surgeons  against  performing 
the  operation  when  there  is  any  detectable  inflammatory  action 
about  the  foot ;  but  recommends  them,  first  to  subdue  by  the 
usual  antiphlogistic  means,  any  acute  symptoms  that  may  be 
present ;  he  urges  as  a  reason,  that  surgeons  never  perform  (if 
it  can  possibly  be  avoided)  an  operation  on  the  human  subject  in 
an  inflamed  locality.  Another  reason  might  be  added  for  subdu- 
ing inflammatory  action  prior  to  operating ;  for  after  having  done 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  251 

so  (there  might  be  such  a  ease)  the  lameness  may  subside,  so  that 
the  owner  would  be  spared  the  expense,  and  his  horse  the  pain, 
of  an  operation. 

Neurotomy,  observes  Mr.  P.,  "has  other  objects  besides  the 
removal  of  lameness.  Both  the  cestral  and  generative  functions 
have  been  restored  through  neurotomy.  Brood  mares  that  have 
proved  barren  in  consequence  of  painful  lameness  annihilating  in 
them  all  sexual  desire,  and  that  have  ceased  to  have  at  the  usual 
season  any  return  of  the  oestrum,  have,  from  losing  such  pain, 
had  their  natural  generative  functions  restored,  and  become  again 
good  breeders." 

"  In  1822,"  writes  Mr.  Rock  wood,  "  a  chestnut  mare  at  Oakley, 
the  property  of  the  Marquis  of  Tavistock,  went  very  lame  in  the 
near  foot  behind,  in  consequence  of  complete  ossification  of  the 
lateral  cartilages  and  extensive  ossific  disease  around  the  coronet. 
She  scarcely  ever  placed  the  foot  upon  the  ground,  but  generally 
moved  upon  three  legs.  Her  sufferings  prevented  the  periodical 
oestrum.  She  had  not  bred  for  years.  About  two  months  after 
the  operation,  she  went  to  work,  and  moved  round;  she  has  bred 
several  healthy  foals,  and  works  as  usual."  In  this  view  the 
author  looks  upon  neurotomy  as  a  curse  rather  than  a  blessing, 
for  the  United  States  can  already  outdo  any  nation  on  earth  in 
the  number  of  her  horses  laboring  under  some  form  of  ossific  dis- 
ease ;  and  for  them  to  call  in  the  aid  of  neurotomizers  only  to 
add  to  the  countless  host  of  deformed  animals  would  increase 
their  number  to  a  deplorable  extent.  A  mare  having  "  complete 
ossification  of  the  lateral  cartilages  and  extensive  ossific  disease 
around  the  coronet,"  ought  never  to  be  put  to  a  stud  ;  the  suppres- 
sion of  her  periodical  oestrum,  and  the  annihilation  of  her  sexual 
desire,  would  be  a  public  benefit,  to  say  the  least,  while  it  should 
teach  us  that  nature  strives  by  all  the  means  in  her  power  to 
perpetuate  nothing  but  what  is  calculated  to  retain  the  stamp, 
perfection,  and  beauty  of  its  original  type.  The  suppression  of 
the  generative  function  is  in  this  case,  as  also  in  many  others,  the 
operation  of  that  law  which  limits  all  animated  creation  to  certain 
bounds,  beyond  which  they  cannot  go  without  forfeiting  their 
right  and  title  to  the  protection  of  those  harmonious  laws  which 
the  God  of  nature  has  thrown  around  them. 


252  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Let  people  neurotomize  horses  for  incurable  lameness,  for 
the  relief  of  pain  which  no  other  means  can  accomplish,  and  we 
call  them  philanthropists  —  the  handmaids  of  nature.  But  when 
neurotomy  is  resorted  to  for  the  purpose  of  forcing  nature  to  teem 
with  deformities,  it  should  be  set  aside  as  a  curse  to  the  four- 
footed  race ;  and  its  advocates  should  be  rebuked.  We  consider 
an  unsound  animal,  as  the  mare  evidently  was,  just  about  as 
valuable  for  breeding  purposes,  in  view  of  perfect  symmetry  of 
form,  endurance,  and  long  life,  as  a  diseased  potato  would  be  for 
the  production  of  a  succession  of  perfect  germs  and  a  supply  of 
healthy  food  for  man.  The  deformities  of  the  parent,  and  the 
imperfections  of  the  vegetable  germ,  may  not  at  once  appear ;  but 
the  day  of  reckoning  must  come  ere  many  generations  have  passed 
away,  or  many  harvests  have  been  gathered ;  and  if  nature  con- 
demns the  one  to  barrenness  and  the  other  to  premature  decay, 
it  is  done  to  assert  her  empire.  In  justice  to  the  talented  author 
just  quoted,  wre  remark,  that  the  practice  of  neurotomy  for  the 
purpose  to  which  we  allude  does  not  receive  his  advocacy :  he 
merely  observes,  that  neurotomy  has  other  objects  besides  the 
removal  of  lameness;  and  introduces  a  case  from  the  pen  of 
another  individual  by  way  of  illustration. 

As  regards  the  success  of  the  operation  in  the  United  States, 
when  performed  by  qualified  persons,  so  far  as  the  author  has 
been  able  to  ascertain,  it  has  been  quite  as  successful  as  in  the  old 
world ;  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be,  when  practised 
by  qualified  veterinary  surgeons. 

We  now  come  to  describe  the  operation  of  neurotomy;  and  we 
recommend  that,  in  all  operations  of  this  kind,  the  subject  be 
etherized,  not  only  in  view  of  preventing  pain,  but  that  we  may, 
in  the  absence  of  all  struggling  on  the  part  of  our  patient,  perform 
the  operation  satisfactorily,  and  in  much  less  time  after  etheriza- 
tion has  taken  place  than  otherwise.  So  soon  as  the  patient  is 
under  the  influence  of  that  valuable  agent,  we  have  nothing  to  fear 
from  his  struggles,  provided  we  have  the  assistance  of  one  expe- 
rienced to  administer  it.  We  generally  use  a  mixture  of  chloro- 
form and  chloric  ether  in  our  operations,  and  consider  it  far 
preferable,  so  far  as  the  life  of  the  patient  is  concerned,  to  pure 
chloroform. 


THE   MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  253 

Whichever  article  is  used,  care  should  be  taken  not  to  intro- 
duce it  into  the  respiratory  organs  too  suddenly.  A  sufficient 
quantity  of  atmospheric  air  must  be  amalgamated  with  it;  and 
this  is  insured  by  moving  the  sponge  to  and  fro  before  the  nos- 
trils for  a  short  time,  when  the  sponge  may  be  placed  in  a  common 
breathing  apparatus  ;  *  in  many  cases,  however,  when  operating 
in  a  barn,  or  any  where  under  cover,  we  use  nothing  but  a  large 
circular  sponge  having  a  deep  concavity,  which  admits  of  the 
horse's  nose.  The  horse  having  been  cast  and  etherized,  we 
release  one  of  the  fore  legs  from  the  hobbles,  and  if  the  limb  be 
found  in  a  perfect  state  of  relaxation,  the  subject  having  no  con- 
trol over  it,  then  is  the  proper  time  to  commence  the  operation. 

The  limb  is  now  to  be  brought  into  its  natural  position,  and  thus 
held  by  an  assistant.  Supposing  the  horse  to  lie  on  the  off  side, 
we  now  make  an  incision  over  the  region  of  the  plantar  nerve, 
on  the  outside  of  the  near  limb.  The  incision  commences  just 
below  the  head  of  the  pastern,  to  the  extent  of  one  inch,  or  a  trifle 
more :  having  exposed  the  nerve,  we  pass  a  director  beneath  it;  a 
simple  incision  into  the  groove  of  the  director  separates  the  nerve. 
If  it  is  desirable  to  excise  a  portion  of  the  nerve,  we  seize  the 
lower  end  with  a  small  pair  of  forceps,  and  cut  off  a  small  piece 
with  a  pair  of  scissors.  If  both  fore  legs  are  to  be  operated  on, 
we  first  operate  on  the  inside  of  the  off  leg;  then,  by  rolling  the 
animal  over,  we  have  an  opportunity  to  repeat  the  same  thing  on 
the  opposite  side.  Most  surgeons  bring  the  edges  of  the  wounds 
together  by  sutures;  and  if  we  could  be  sure  of  uniting  them  by 
what  is  called  first  intention,  it  would  be  proper  to  do  so :  it  is 
certainly  in  accordance  with  the  principles  of  rational  surgery, 
and  looks  more  workmanlike  thus  to  close  the  incisions ;  but  a 
friend  of  ours  residing  in  Maine,  who  has  operated  on  quite  a 
number  of  horses,  informs  us  that  he  never  uses  suture,  but  dresses 
with  a  balsamic  liquid,  and  over  all  a  cold  water  bandage,  and  the 
animals  show  but  a  slight  blemish.  In  the  few  cases  we  have 
operated  on,  sutures  were  used,  and  bandages,  which  some  recom- 
mend, were  dispensed  with,  for  they  only  tend  to  irritate  the 
wounds  and  keep  up  an  unnatural  heat  about  the  part :  our  ex- 

*  In  all  cases  of  etherization  at  the  Massachusetts  Hospital,  a  simple  sponge 
is  used.     The  complicated  and  exponsive  breathing  machines  are  dispensed  with. 
99 


254  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOK. 

perience  is,  that  bandages  do  not  agree  so  well  with  horse  as  with 
human  flesh.  Various  instruments  are  in  use  for  the  perform- 
ance of  this  operation,  which  we  do  not  deem  necessary  to  describe 
here.  The  success  of  the  operation  depends  more  on  the  skill  of 
the  operator  than  on  his  tools  ;  for  a  good  anatomist  can  at  any- 
time divide  the  nerve  with  a  common  penknife :  in  fact  the  thing 
is  often  done. 

The  reader  will  perceive  that  we  have  merely  described  the 
operation,  without  entering  into  its  details,  or  the  anatomical 
points  involved:  to  place  on  paper  all  the  minutia3  necessary  to 
constitute  every  man  a  neurotomist  would  be  a  work  of  impossi- 
bility ;  hence  we  advise  those  who  desire  to  have  their  horses 
operated  on  to  employ  a  professional  man. 

PLEURODYNIA.  — {Inflammation  of  the  Muscles  of  the  Chest  and  fore 
Extremities.) 

This  is  a  disease  to  which  the  attention  of  veterinarians  has 
lately  been  called  by  Mr.  Haycock,  in  his  work  on  Veteri- 
nary Homoeopathy,  who  observes,  "  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  as  to 
the  existence  of  this  disease,  and  also  of  its  having  been  over- 
looked." We  have  frequently  treated  animals  presenting  some 
of  the  peculiar  symptoms  here  enumerated,  and,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  we  had  no  other  name  for  it,  called  it  rheumatism,  or 
founder. 

The  symptoms  are  as  follows :  "  One  great  difference  between 
pleurodynia  and  pleurisy  is,  that  in  the  former  affection  the  dis- 
ease exhibits  little  or  no  variation,  while  in  pleurisy,  the  varia- 
tions are  remarkable,  and  constitute  one  of  the  principal  features 
by  which  it  is  to  be  distinguished  or  recognized. 

"  In  pleurodynia,  the  animal  moves  in  a  very  rigid  manner; 
he  steps  short  and  very  slow ;  he  is  greatly  dejected  and  cast 
down  ;  the  back  is  arched  ;  the  skin  over  the  surface  of  the  body 
exhibits  great  tenderness,  whether  he  be  handled  roughly  or  deli- 
cately ;  he  also  grunts  a  good  deal,  and  great  tenderness  is  some- 
times present  upon  one  or  both  sides  of  the  chest,  and  the  skin 
presents  that  state  of  corrugation  easily  recognized.  The  respi- 
rations are  short  and  limited,  and  the  pulse  will  generally  range 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  255 

from  fifty  to  sixty-four  per  minute,  but  on  some  occasions  it  is 
not  at  all  disturbed.  If  the  ear  be  applied  to  the  chest,  the  mur- 
mur can  generally  be  detected  very  clearly  throughout,  particu- 
larly in  the  superior  regions  of  the  cavity,  while,  if  the  ear  be 
held  close  to  the  lowest  part  of  the  inferior  region,  a  sort  of 
rumbling  sound  is  heard;  but  this  can  only  be  detected  when 
the  skin  over  the  part  is  more  tender  than  elsewhere,  and  when 
it  is  contracted  into  folds,  and  moves,  and  when  such  contractible 
motion  is  continuous.  This  sound  I  entirely  attribute  to  the 
tremulous  motion  which  is  going  on  within  the  subtextures  ;  for  if 
the  ear  be  kept  firmly  to  the  chest,  the  motion  soon  ceases,  together 
with  the  rumbling  sound;  and,  provided  we  remain  quiet,  and 
the  animal  be  pacified,  we  can  then  distinctly  hear  the  clear, 
natural  respiratory  murmur,  though  somewhat  suppressed  from 
the  constrained  manner  in  which  the  chest  itself  is  expanded. 
The  hair  over  the  entire  body  is  dry,  and  very  unthrifty  in  ap- 
pearance. If  the  animal  be  made  to  walk  up  hill,  it  is  performed 
cleverly,  but  great  difficulty  is  experienced  in  coming  down 
again  ;  the  patient  travels  as  though  his  feet  were  actually  in- 
flamed ;  the  appetite  is  bad  in  some  cases,  and  moderately  good 
in  others  ;  the  urine  is  scanty,  and  the  dung  is  dry  looking ;  the 
patient  does  not  lie  down  well ;  it  is  seldom  or  never  that  he 
coughs.  In  this  state  the  animal  may  remain  for  weeks,  without 
the  least  variation,  save  that  the  pulse  becomes  lower,  falling  to 
about  thirty-eight  or  forty-two  per  minute ;  but  the  majority  of 
such  cases,  if  properly  treated,  are  generally  cured  in  from  three 
to  six  days." 

The  causes  are,  over-exertion  and  exposure.  "  If  the  disease 
be  from  an  inflammation  excited  within  the  muscles  of  the  chest 
and  fore  extremities,  and  also  of  the  cellular  tissue  investing  or 
surrounding  such  muscles,  the  fact,  I  think,  will  in  a  great  meas- 
ure be  satisfactorily  demonstrated.  Should  the  animal  have  been 
subject  to  long-continued  and  very  severe  exertion,  this,  together 
with  the  tenderness  of  the  muscles,  and  the  assistance  which  aus- 
cultation will  afford  us,  will  be  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  decide.  In 
conclusion,  I  may  add  that  pleurisy,  pleurodynia,  and  inflamma- 
tion of  the  muscles  may  either  exist  as  separate  affections,  or  two 
or  more  of  them  may  exist  in  association,  or  any  one  of  them,  or 


256  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

all  of  them  may  also  exist  in  association  with  disease  of  the  heart." 
Treatment,  homoeopathic.  The  best  remedies  we  know  of  for  an 
affection  of  this  character  are,  rest,  laxative  medicine,  light  diet, 
and  cold  water  packing — supposing,  however,  that  it  is  brought 
on  by  severe  work.  Should  it  be  occasioned  by  exposure,  treat 
it  the  same  as  a  common  attack  of  rheumatism. 

ACUTE  RHEUMATISM,   OR  FOUNDER. 

This  is  a  very  common  disease  among  horses,  and  probably 
occurs  more  frequently  than  people  would  suppose.  We  have 
treated  quite  a  large  number  of  cases  during  the  past  few  years. 
Some  of  them  yielded  very  readily,  and  disappeared  just  as  sud- 
denly as  they  came  ;  others  were  protracted,  became  chronic,  and 
left  the  subject  with  stiffened  muscular  fibres,  contractions  of  mus- 
cles and  hoofs,  effusions  into  bursal  sacs  around  the  fetlocks,  &c. ; 
and  two  cases  terminated  fatally,  in  one  of  which  the  autopsy 
showed  high  inflammation  of  the  interior  of  the  heart  —  endocar- 
ditis :  the  internal  membrane  of  that  organ  had  the  appearance 
of  purple  velvet,  with  effusions  of  lymph  on  its  surface  ;  the  ten- 
dinous cords  of  the  lateral  ventricles  were  strung  with  fibrous  de- 
posits to  such  an  extent  that  they  must  have  had  interference  with 
the  heart's  action.  The  second  case  was  complicated ;  the  ex- 
ternal covering  of  the  heart — pericardium  —  had  several  adhe- 
sions, and  its  surface  next  the  heart  was  studded  in  several 
places  with  lymph  granules  ;  slight  effusion  had  also  taken  place. 
The  internal  appearance  of  the  heart  was  the  same  as  in  the 
preceding  case,  excepting  the  fibrous  deposits  on  the  cor  dee,  tendi- 
nce.  (This  rare  specimen  is  now  among  our  collection  of  morbid 
anatomy,  for  the  inspection  of  those  who  may  wish  to  see  it.) 
AVe  strongly  suspect  that  many  diseases  of  the  fibrous  and  ten- 
dinous structures  have  their  origin  in  rheumatic  disease  ;  and  if 
the  horse  could  only  speak,  he  would  often  tell  us  of  his  flying 
aches  and  pains,  long  before  we  discover  any  tiling  of  the  sort. 
These  horses,  from  the  first,  had  febrile  symptoms  of  an  acute 
inflammatory  character,  which  active  cathartics  and  counter  irri- 
tants seemed  to  have  no  effect  on.  The  first  subject  died  on  the 
fifth  day  from  the  attack,  and  the  latter  on  the  ninth.     In  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  257 

human  subject,  rheumatism  and  cardiac  affection  are  twin 
brothers.  In  some  subjects  the  diseases  appear,  now  and  then, 
to  go  hand  in  hand ;  cardiac  disease  is  liable  to  end  in  rheuma- 
tism, and  vice  versa.  Gallup  thus  alludes  to  the  subject :  "  If 
rheumatism  shows  a  propensity  to  migrate  more  than  some  other 
affections,  it  claims  this  right  by  keeping  within  the  range  of  its 
kindred  tissues.  It  goes  to  the  tissue  of  a  neighboring  joint  of 
the  same  family,  and  its  way  is  prepared  by  an  altered  and  ex 
cited  state  of  all  these  tissues,  when  the  morbid  habit  has  been 
established.  If  it  steals  its  way  to  the  heart,  it  there  occupies 
its  family  seat  in  the  fibrous  tissues.  But  it  is  not  very  common 
that  it  makes  this  stride  ;  when  it  does,  it  is  liable  to  be  a  fatal 
one  ;  it  commonly  abides  there  to  spend  its  rage  and  subdue  its 
victim.  It  acknowledges  the  same  predisposing  causes  with  other 
acute  diseases,  which  are  aided  by  an  idiosyncrasy.  It  is  a  dis- 
ease chiefly  of  cold  seasons,  but  does  appear  in  the  predisposed 
from  the  influence  of  relative  cold,  from  sudden  changes  in  warm 
seasons." 

"  The  concentrations  of  local  affections  in  disease  often  pass 
from  one  part  to  another  with  equal  facility,  before  the  part  has 
suffered  essential  lesions  by  their  ravages  ;  and,  indeed,  in  some 
cases,  when  this  is  the  fact,  without  carrying  with  them  the 
alterations  they  have  already  made.  The  localists  and  humored- 
ists  have  always  been  confounded  with  their  own  theories,  be- 
cause they  never  could  apprehend  how  their  materia  exciians 
should  so  easily  migrate  the  capillaries  as  to  get  so  far  without, 
their  being  able  to  ken  its  march." 

Here  we  have  an  explanation  of  that  peculiar  state  of  the 
system,  termed  by  some  writers  body  founder,  which  is  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  rheumatism  in  its  chronic  stage.  In  a  case  of 
this  kind,  the  whole  muscular  system  seems  affected.  White 
thus  describes  it :  "  At  first  the  foundered  horse  appears  as  if 
every  part  of  the  body  were  affected,  and  sometimes  this  is  the 
case ;  at  others,  the  fore  parts  or  the  feet  appear  affected ;  and 
in  some  cases,  the  loins  or  hind  parts  generally.  This  disorder 
is  similar  to  acute  rheumatism,  or  rheumatic  fever,  [it  is  identi- 
cal,'] and  appears  to  depend  on  inflammation  of  the  muscles, 
sometimes  affecting  the  muscles  of  respiration,  and  sometimes 
22* 


258  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

even  the  heart  itself."  There  is  no  difference,  then,  between 
acute  rheumatism  and  founder ;  their  terminations  are  in  harmo- 
ny with  each  other  ;  and  this  proposition  is  confirmed  when  we 
notice  the  causes  of  the  latter.  Founder  is  produced  by  chilling 
the  animal  when  exhausted  or  much  fatigued  ;  he  may  be  chilled, 
after  a  brisk  drive,  by  exposure  to  the  weather,  by  external  in- 
fluences, or  he  may  be  chilled  by  imbibing  cold  water  in  quan- 
tity sufficient  to  reduce  the  temperature  of  the  system  too  sud- 
denly. The  author  last  quoted  says,  "  Founder  is  produced  by 
driving  a  horse,  when  in  a  state  of  perspiration,  into  a  pond,  ex- 
posing him  to  cold  wind  or  rain,  or  tying  him  up  in  the  stable 
yard  while  the  hostler  washes  his  legs  or  thighs,  and  sometimes 
his  body ;  but  excessive  exertion  alone  will,  and  often  does,  pro- 
duce every  kind  of  founder."  Here  we  have  the  causes  of  rheu- 
matism. Who  can  deny  it  ?  Take  a  plethoric,  over-fed  horse, 
and  let  him  be  exposed  even  to  a  slight  exciting  cause,  an  affec- 
tion is  generated,  and  propelled,  with  railroad  speed,  from  tissue 
to  tissue,  constituting  acute  rheumatism  —  body  founder;  or, 
as  in  the  cases  just  alluded  to,  it  may  spend  its  force  on  the 
heart,  and  extinguish  the  vital  principle.  The  disease  is  apt,  at 
times,  to  locate  in  circumscribed  situations,  about  a  joint  or  mus- 
cular region ;  but  the  treatment  will  not  differ  much. 

Treatment  of  acute  Rheumatism.  —  Our  first  prescription  is 
invariably  the  following  nauseating  cathartic :  — 

Powdered  aloes, 6  drachms, 

"         lobelia, 2  drachms, 

"Warm  water, 1  pint. 

Free  action  of  the  bowels  must  be  persisted  in,  and  they  must 
afterwards  be  kept  soluble  by  means  of  some  such  remedy  as 
the  following:  — 

Cream  of  tartar,  ^ 

Sulphur,  £•  of  each,    .    .    2  drachms, 

Podophyllum,      ) 

Wine  of  colchicum,*    ....     2  drachms, 

Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

Mix,  and  give  as  a  drench. 


*  Vinum  Colchici  seminis  of  the  United  States  Dispensatory.     It  can  be 
procured  of  any  apothecary.    The  author   has  a  preparation  of  colchicum 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  259 

This  medicine  should  be  continued  as  occasion  may  require ; 
for  example,  suspending  it  when  the  discharges  are  frequent,  and 
again  exhibiting  it  when  peristaltic  action  is  tardy. 

In  view  of  increasing  cutaneous  exhalation,  we  give  an  infusion 
of  lobelia  and  pleurisy  root,  half  an  ounce  of  each  to  half  a  gallon 
of  boiling  water;  when  macerated  sufficiently,  strain,  and  add  a 
gill  of  honey.     Dose,  one  pint  every  four  or  six  hours. 

As  regards  large  and  repeated  Doses  of  Medicine. —  When  car- 
ried beyond  a  certain  point,  these  are  sure  to  do  harm  ;  for  this 
disease  is  located  in  tissues  that  are  under  the  dominion  of  the 
nerves  of  external  relation  :  these  tissues  may  be  highly  excited 
and  painful,  in  consequence  of  the  congested  state  of  the  capil- 
laries ;  at  the  same  time,  the  vital  fluid  —  blood  —  is  deficient  in 
the  region  of  nutritive  tissues  :  at  such  times  cathartics  have  a  dis- 
astrous sedative  *  tendency,  very  prostrating  and  uncontrollable. 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  realized,  that  there  is  more  danger  in 
giving  too  much,  than  too  little,  medicine.  It  is  astonishing  how 
little  medicine  will  at  times  favor  the  physiological  state,  and  thus 
restore  a  patient  to  health ;  while  we  have  abundant  evidence 
going  to  show  that  ours,  as  well  as  the  four-footed  race,  have  been 
almost  universally  over-dosed.  "We  generally  keep  the  rectum 
empty  by  means  of  saline  injections ;  should  the  bowels  respond 
to  the  medicine  as  often  as  seems  proper,  they  may  be  dispensed 
with. 

As  regards  external  Applications.  —  If  steam  can  be  so  con- 
ducted to  the  body  of  the  patient  (see  Steaming  Apparatus)  as  to 
keep  up  a  relaxation  of  the  capillaries,  external  liniments  may 
be  dispensed  with.  In  the  event  of  failing  to  secure  diaphoresis, 
the  capillary  absorbents  must  be  excited  with  the  following  ex- 
ternal application :  — 

which  he  prefers  to  any  other  ;  he  has  termed  it  the  acidulated  tincture  of  col- 
chicum.     It  is  made  in  the  following  manner  :  — 

Take  of  colchictnn,  bull)  and  seeds, 2  ounces, 

Proof  spirit, 1  pint, 

Diluted  acetic  acid, 1  pint. 

(Diluted  acetic  acid  is  formed  by  mixing  one  part  strong  acetic  acid  with  four 

parts  water.)     Let  the  preparation  stand  for  the  space  of  a  fortnight;  pour 

off  the  clear  liquor,  and  run  it  through  fine  linen,  and  it  will  be  fit  for  use, 

*  All  cathartics  have  a  sedative  effect. 


260  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Spirits  camphor, 2  ounces, 

Tincture  of  Indian  hemp,    ...     1  ounce, 
Olive  oil, 4  ounces. 

Mix ;  and  lubricate  the  stiff  and  painful  regions  daily,  and  cover 

them  with  flannel. 

The  diet  during  the  inflammatory  stage  should  \>e  light,  con- 
sisting of  sloppy  mashes.  Linseed  tea,  and  water  acidulated 
with  cream  of  tartar,  form  the  best  drink  for  fever  patients.  An 
acute  case  may  generally  be  treated  somewhat  after  this  fashion. 
There  is,  to  be  sure,  much  diversity  of  opinion  as  regards  the 
means ;  for  while  one  recommends  us  to  bleed  with  one  hand  and 
give  opium  with  the  other,  (by  which  means  the  system  is  pros- 
trated,) another  recommends  stimulants,  to  exalt  the  circulation, 
and  thus  secure  its  equilibrium,  so  that  there  shall  be  no  excess 
of  blood  in  any  part ;  a  third  advocates  cold  water ;  and  a  fourth, 
homoeopathy.  Finally,  in  many  cases  the  subjects  get  well  with- 
out one  particle  of  medicine.  The  physician  who  has  studied  his 
profession  with  care  will  know  when  to  give  and  when  to  with- 
hold medicine :  at  all  times  he  should  endeavor  to  see  how  little 
medicine  he  can  get  along  with,  for  by  so  doing  he  studies  the 
interests  of  all  concerned. 

The  diagnostic  symptoms  of  acute  rheumatism  are,  great  pain 
elicited  by  pressure  or  motion  ;  swelling  of  the  limb  or  body,  as 
the  case  may  be;  febrile  symptoms  are  present ;  some  thirst;  the 
urine  has  a  very  pungent  odor ;  the  pulse  is  full  and  hard,  and 
peristaltic  action  is  slow.  Some  other  portions  of  the  case  de- 
serve notice.  The  disease  occurs  very  suddenly  in  subjects  not 
far  advanced  in  years ;  there  are  regular  periods  in  the  course  of 
the  twenty-four  hours,  from  day  to  day,  when  the  patient  will  be 
worse.  In  the  human  subject,  night  is  the  period  when  the  pains 
and  fever  are  greatest ;  and  in  four-footed  subjects,  confined  in  ill- 
ventilated  stables,  we  have  noticed  the  same  thing ;  yet  in  many 
cases  the  disease  leaves  the  subject  very  suddenly,  or  migrates  to 
other  tissues,  so  that  this  feature  is  not  so  persistent  as  in  man. 
The  disease  has,  to  our  certain  knowledge,  gravitated  to  the  feet ; 
it  is  then  called  acute  laminitis  —  another  name,  in  a  majority  of 
cases,  for  founder  in  its  acute  stage. 

The  diagnostic  symptoms,  when  the  heart  becomes  affected,  are, 
palpitation,  difficult   breathing,  and   great   oppression.       These 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  261 

symptoms  are  to  be  met  by  saline  medicines  and  counter  ir- 
ritants. 

CHRONIC  RHEUMATISM. 

Chronic  rheumatism  is  occasionally  a  sequel  to  the  acute  form  ; 
yet  it  may  come  on  without  any  previous  perceptible  acute  attack, 
and  entirely  independent  of  it.  The  principal  difference  between 
this  and  the  acute  disease  lies  in  the  less  activity  of  the  attack 
and  inflammatory  fever,  and  the  indefinite  duration  of  the  symp- 
toms :  the  lameness  is  not  persistent,  but  goes  off  after  exercise, 
and  returns  again  while  the  animal  is  at  rest. 

As  regards  the  Causes  of  this  Malady.  —  It  is  known  to  be  of 
hereditary  origin  ;  sometimes  arising  in  a  sort  of  spontaneous 
manner,  without  any  assignable  cause  :  it  frequently  follows  hard 
driving,  exposure,  and  chilling  the  surface  with  cold  water. 

Horses,  after  having  been  driven  a  long  distance,  sometimes 
come  into  the  stable  in  a  very  exhausted  state,  and  instead  of 
rubbing  them  dry,  clothing  them  with  a  wTarm  blanket,  and  pay- 
ing that  attention  to  them  which  their  circumstances  demand,  they 
are  suffered  to  drink  cold  water,  driven  perhaps  into  a  cold  corner 
of  a  stable,  neither  wind-tight  nor  water-proof;  the  legs  are 
sluiced  with,  cold  water  to  clear  them  of  mud,  and  the  knight  of 
the  stable,  a  humane  man  perhaps,  out  of  charity  for  the  poor 
"devil,"  gives  him  a  double  allowance  of  food  just  at  the  \evy 
time  when  the  digestive  organs  are  unequal  to  the  task.  Next 
morning,  on  attempting  to  back  the  horse  out,  his  fore,  and  some- 
times the  hind,  limbs  are  as  stiff  as  a  poker.  "  My  horse  is  foun- 
dered," exclaims  the  owner  —  a  term  very  expressive  of  the  ruined 
condition  of  the  poor  brute.  The  founder,  or  rheumatism,  which- 
ever the  reader  pleases  to  call  it,  may  finally  locate  on  the 
muscles  of  the  shoulders  and  fore  extremities,  or  it  may  run  to 
the  feet,  and  there  spend  its  fury,  in  the  form  of  laminitis,  —  in- 
flammation of  the  lamina?  of  the  feet:  this  finally  becomes 
chronic;  produces  atrophy — a  wasting  of  the  muscles.  The  horse 
is  then  said  to  be  foundered  in  the  chest.  When  the  disease 
locates  and  remains  within  the  horny  covering  of  the  foot  during 
its  several  stages,  and  finally  leaves  the  foot  in  a  contracted,  ruined 
condition,  the  horse  is  said  to  be  foundered  in  the  feet.     "We  do 


262  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

not  mean  to  give  the  reader  an  idea  that  all  cases  of  laminitis 
arise  in  this  way,  for  it  is  known  to  be  the  sequel,  through  a  pro- 
cess termed  metastasis,  to  diseases  of  the  respiratory  and  other 
organs. 

With  regard  to  the  treatment  of  chronic  rheumatism,  that 
which  is  known  to  be  the  sequel  of  the  acute  kind,  without  swell- 
ing, going  off  by  exercise,  and  attended  by  a  sort  of  chronic  fever. 
This  form  is  always  benefited  by  the  warm  bath,  and  if  a  steam- 
ing apparatus  could  be  brought  into  requisition  in  such  cases,  we 
could  reckon  with  some  degree  of  certainty  on  a  cure.  Cold 
water,  and  even  a  cold,  moist  atmosphere,  only  aggravate  the 
malady ;  the  patient  must  be  placed  in  a  moderately  warm  box 
stall,  and  have  the  benefit  of  local  warm  water  bandages,  followed, 
in  some  cases,  by  frictions,  with  liniment  of  ammonia  and  rose- 
mary.* The  internal  medicine  (and  we  are  satisfied  this  is  the 
best)  consists  of 

Tincture  of  guaiacum,  ^ 

"        "  balm  of  gilead,  C  of  each  2  ounces, 
"         "  Jamaica  ginger,  ) 

Sirup  of  garlic, 6  ounces. 

Mix,  and  give  one  sixth  part  of  the  mixture  in  a  pint  of  camo- 
mile tea,  night  and  morning. 

This  medicine  will  go  the  rounds  of  the  circulation,  and  there 
excite  action  in  the  remote  parts,  differing  from  the  morbid,  and 
thus  assist  in  removing  the  affection.  We  have  found  that  flan- 
nels saturated  with  warm  vinegar  and  water,  bound  on  the  limbs, 
and  occasionally  removed,  have  a  beneficial  effect.  Finally,  time, 
persevering  in  the  use  of  simple  means,  and  proper  attention  to 
diet,  will  do  all  that  can  be  expected. 

SPASM   OF  THE   MUSCLES.  —  {Cramp.) 

Horses,  as  well  as  men,  are  subject  to  spasmodic  affections  of 
the  muscular  system,  which  sometimes  appear  and  disappear 
with  equal  rapidity.     A  horse  attacked  with  cramp  shows  it  by 

*  Compound  Liniment  of  Ammonia.  —  Take 

Water  of  ammonia, 2  ounces, 

Olive  oil, 8  ounces, 

Oil  of  rosemary, 1  ounce. 

Mix.    To  be  applied  by  means  of  a  piece  of  soft  flannel. 


TII1C    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  263 

becoming  suddenly  unable  to  move  the  limb,  and  when  compelled 
to  step  forward,  drags  the  affected  part  after  him.  At  other  times 
he  is  travelling  on  the  road,  and  becomes,  without  any  warning, 
dead  lame,  limps  or  steps  short,  and  after  standing  a  few  mo- 
ments, regains  the  use  of  his  limb,  and  proceeds  onward  to  the 
journey's  end  without  a  reattack.  Horses  that  have  once  had  an 
attack  of  this  sort  are  liable  to  relapses,  unless  the  exciting  causes 
be  removed.  What  are  the  causes  ?  Some  physiological 
considerations  are  necessary  in  order  to  understand  the  sub- 
ject. Every  movement  of  a  muscle  produces  a  corresponding 
waste,  and  thus  exhausts  the  vital  principle  :  the  waste  must  be 
supplied  by  the  blood,  and  the  blood  in  its  turn  depends  on  nu- 
trition. Hence  it  follows  that  when  a  horse  is  compelled  to  per- 
form great  muscular  action,  he  requires  an  amount  of  blood 
equal  to  the  loss  sustained  ;  and  that  blood  has  to  be  manufactured 
in  its  chemico-vital  laboratory,  out  of  a  corresponding  increase 
of  food.  But  suppose  nutrition  is  perverted,  or  that  the  food, 
which  in  quantity  seems  sufficient,  is  deficient  in  nutrition ;  then 
we  can  perceive  how  spasmodic  affections  of  the  muscles  may 
arise,  knowing,  as  we  do,  that  spasm  arises  from  mal-nutrition. 

The  cure  consists  in  restoring  the  tone  of  the  digestive  func- 
tion, should  it  be  impaired  :  a  few  doses  of  gentian,  ginger,  and 
salt,  equal  parts,  will  generally  answer  the  purpose.  The  limb 
may  then  be  rubbed  daily  with  common  hartshorn  liniment,  and 
the  cure  is  completed. 

SPLENT. 

Definition  of  Splent.  —  An  exostosis  —  i.  e.,  a  callous  or 
osseous  tumor  —  growing  upon  one,  or  contiguous  to  one,  of  the 
splent  bones.  —  Per  civ  all. 

A  splent  seldom  occasions  lameness,  except  in  the  primary 
stage  of  inflammation  of  the  fibro-cartilaginous  substance  which 
unites  the  splent  to  the  canon  bone  ;  or,  in  cases  when  the  splent 
is  high  up,  in  close  proximity  with  the  carpal  bone  —  (which 
rests  on  the  upper  part  of  the  inner  small  metacarpal)  —  splent 
sometimes  involving  more  than  one  of  the  carpal  bones  ;  and 
from  the  size  of  the  tumor,  it  being  large,  having  a  very  rough 


264  THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 

surface.  In  such  cases  we  may  expect  lameness;  but  if  seldom 
lasts  long,  for  the  bones  soon  become  anchylosed  —  glued  to- 
gether ;  and  should  the  tumor  be  rough,  so  as  to  produce  lame- 
ness, there  will  soon  be  thrown  out  on  its  contiguous  tissues  a 
fibrous  layer,  which  to  some  extent  prevents  friction.  This  form 
of  splent,  having  eminences,  depressions,  and  a  rough,  irregular 
aspect,  may  be  denominated  tuberculated  splent :  it  generally 
interferes  with  the  motion  of  neighboring  parts.  A  splent  of 
the  circumscribed  kind  —  a  tumor  about  midway  between  the 
superior  and  inferior  ends  of  the  canon,  on  the  inside  —  generally 
differs  from  the  above,  in  presenting  a  smooth  eminence,  with  a 
well-defined  outline,  varying  in  size  from  that  of  a  bean  up  to  a 
walnut. 

Cause  of  Splent.  —  A  good  deal  of  speculation  is  afloat  as  to 
the  cause  of  splent.  We  are  aware  that  it  may  be  produced  by 
a  blow,  or  injury  in  the  form  of  sprain.  If  it  come  from  a  blow, 
we  should  be  apt  to  consider  that  the  animal  himself  was  the 
cause  of  it,  by  striking  with  the  opposite  foot ;  although  he  gen- 
erally strikes  the  fetlock,  or  else  the  inside  of  the  knee ;  but  he 
may  once  in  a  while  have  an  ill-adapted  shoe  placed  on  his 
foot,  and  then,  in  consequence  of  being  reined  up  suddenly,  or 
getting  one  foot  into  a  hole,  may,  without  the  knowledge  of  the 
person  riding  or  driving,  inflict  a  slight  blow  on  the  inside  of  the 
limb,  which  may  prove,  in  a  predisposed  subject,  the  exciting 
cause  of  this  affection.  Predisposition  may  lurk  in  breed  ;  and 
from  the  fact  that  many  animals  are  now  to  be  met  with  carrying 
about  with  them  miniatures  of  ancestral  deformity,  spavin,  ring- 
bone,  &c,  we  may  presume  that  splent,  at  times,  comes  under 
this  category. 

Treatment.  —  In  the  early  stages,  supposing  some  inflamma- 
tory symptoms  present,  we  resort  to  cooling,  evaporating  lotions : 
these  are  various.  The  following  will  probably  answer  the  pur- 
pose ;  we  have  used  it  extensively,  and  found  it  efficient :  — 

Acetic  acid, 2  ounces, 

Water, 8  ounces, 

Chloric  ether, 1  ounce. 

Mix  ;  take  a  pad,  composed  of  three  or  four  folds  of  cotton  cloth, 
immerse  it  in  the  mixture,  place  it  over  the  seat  of  splent,  then 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  265 

confine  it,  so  as  to  produce  slight  pressure  on  the  tumor,  the 
outer  bandage  to  be  moistened  as  often  as  convenient.  Rest  at 
this  stage  is  highly  important,  because  the  periosteum,  or  else  the 
interosseous  fibro-cartilage  between  the  splent  and  canon,  is 
inflamed,  and  all  motion  aggravates  it. 

In  a  case  of  long  standing,  and  even  in  one  having  a  well- 
marked  tumor,  stiffness  and  lameness  may  be  relieved  by  the 
occasional  application  of  acetate  of  cantharides. 

Some  surgeons  blister  for  the  cure  of  splent;  others  saw  off 
the  tumor ;  and  periosteotomy  has  been  resorted  to  in  view  of 
cure  ;  but,  unfortunately,  splent  is  no  more  curable  than  spavin, 
when  once  the  cartilage  has  been  converted  into  bone ;  and  as  in 
the  majority  of  cases  it  is  but  an  eyesore,  and  detracts  but  little 
from  the  value,  and  still  less  on  the  score  of  usefulness,  of  the 
horse,  it  may  be  well  to  pause  ere  we  operate  for  the  cure  of  an 
incurable  disease. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUTS. 


Cut  1.  — Appearance  of  the  hock  before  dissection  and  maceration. 
Cut  2.  — Appearance  of  bones  composing  the  hock  after  maceration. 

1.  Os  calcis. 

2.  Astragalus. 

3.  3.  Large  and  medium,  cuneiform  bones,  united  to  each  other,  and  coated 
with  bony  deposit. 

4.  4,  4.  Bony  prominence,  or  spavin  tumor. 

5.  Canon  or  metatarsus  magnus. 

6.  Small  (inner)  metatarsal  or  splent,  the  head  of  which  is  involved  in  ossific 
disease,  so  as  to  be  immovable. 

7.  The  articular  cartilages  being  ossified,  the  canon  is  united  to  the  bone 
above.  The  whole  surface  of  diseased  parts,  as  delineated,  have  a  rough,  un- 
even, and  spongy  appearance.  This  is  one  of  the  hocks  alluded  to  in  article 
Spavin.  The  diseased  parts  were  obtained  from  Messrs.  Freeman  &  Scates, 
owners  of  the  horse. 


SPAVIN. 

It  is  most  astonishing  that  in  this  age  of  improvement  means 
are  not  discovered  for  the  prevention  of  this,  one  of  the  most 
common  diseases  of  the  horse's  hock.     It  has  got  to  be  so  com- 

•23 


266 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


Cut  1. 

APPEARANCE    OF   THE    SPAVIN    TUMOR   BEFORE   DIS- 
SECTION  AND   MACERATION. 


THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


. 


267 


Hi 


Cut  2. 

APPEARANCE    OF   THE    SPAVIN    TUMOR   AFTER   DIS 

SECTION    AND    MACERATION. 


268  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

mon  a  disease  of  late,  that  if  a  purchaser  finds  a  horse  free  from 
blemish  of  this  description,  he  considers  himself  fortunate.  By 
way  of  showing  how  little  some  people  think  of  spavin,  the  fol- 
lowing incident  is  related  :  The  author  was  lately  travelling  in 
the  eastern  part  of  Massachusetts,  and  had  occasion  to  use  a 
team,  which  was  procured  at  the  village  stable.  The  owner  kindly 
consented  to  drive  to  our  destination,  some  four  or  five  miles  dis- 
tant. During  the  journey  the  conversation  turned  upon  horse- 
ology.  Our  friend  appeared  to  be  well  'posted  —  knew  every 
horse  in  town,  his  cost,  and  present  value.  We  remarked  to 
him  that  the  horse  he  was  then  driving  had  a  couple  of  spavins. 
u  0,"  exclaimed  the  man,  "  that  is  nothing  ;  the  horses  in  these 
-parts  are  all  spavined  !  " 

"  Pray,"  asked  we,  "  what  do  you  attribute  all  this  to  ?  " 
"  The  chief  causes  are,  breeding  from  old,  broken-down,  spav- 
ined mares  and  worthless  studs ;  and  permitting  the  foal  to  run 
by  the  side  of  its  mother  while  she  is  in  harness." 

Our  own  experience  has  taught  us  to  look  in  this  direction  for 
the  causes ;  and  we  feel  assured  that  if  breeders  would  be  more 
particular  in  the  choice  of  both  sire  and  dam,  and  leave  the  colt 
at  home,  instead  of  trotting  it  to  market,  by  the  side  of  the 
mare,  —  as  is  the  fashion  in  the  country,  —  and  also  pay  attention 
to  the  conditions  which  the  law  of  physiology  imperatively  de- 
mands for  the  maintenance  of  health  and  vigor,  then  there  would 
be  few  spavined  horses.  Here,  then,  is  where  our  preventive 
measures  must  commence ;  for  as  sure  as  "  like  begets  like,"  so 
sure  are  spavins  transmitted  from  parents  to  offspring.  Not  that 
we  would  have  the  reader  suppose  that  every  case  of  spavin  is 
brought  about  in  this  way,  or  that  every  case  is  transmissible ; 
for  we  know  that  hard  work  on  our  paved  streets  must  tend  to 
inflame  the  inter-articular  cartilages  between  the  small  bones  of 
the  hock  ;  and  this  inflamed,  bruised  state  of  the  parts  may  be 
considered  the  primary  stage  of  spavin.  Concussion  on  pave- 
ments, when  the  horse  is  in  the  act  of  drawing  heavy  loads,  has 
much  to  do  with  the  production  of  spavin ;  still,  in  the  country, 
where  there  are  no  pavements,  we  find  the  most  spavined  horses. 
How  shall  we  account  for  this  ?  It  seems  very  probable  that 
great  muscular  exertion,  in  drawing  a  load  up  hill,  or,  in  fact, 
•lescending  a  slope  rapidly  with  a  load,  may  overtax  the  liga- 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  269 

mentary  tissues ;  and  especially  so  in  cases  where  there  is  some  pre- 
disposing taint  lurking  in  the  system  :  so  that  there  are  various 
causes  for  spavin.  Our  views  of  the  cure  of  spavin  —  that  is,  if 
anchylosis  can  be  considered  in  the  light  of  a  cure  —  are,  that,  in 
order  to  render  the  animal  capable  of  future  usefulness,  we  must 
follow  in  the  path  of  nature,  and  aid  her.  For  example,  on 
discovering  a  horse  lame  in  the  hock,  having  the  usual  symptoms 
of  spavin  in  its  incipient  stage,  we  should  release  him  from 
labor,  or  even  turn  him  out  to  grass,  thus,  to  some  extent,  guard- 
ing against  the  irritation  and  inflammation  which  usually  follow 
hard  work ;  for  we  know  that  in  the  early  stage  of  the  disease 
inflammatory  action  is  active,  and  that  hard  labor  and  use  of 
the  joint  must  aggravate  it ;  therefore  any  measures  that  are 
taken,  calculated  to  control  or  lessen  pain  and  irritation,  must 
prove  beneficial.  By  such  means  we  place  the  patient  in  the 
most  favorable  position  for  nature  to  perform  a  cure  (anchylosis) 
in  her  own  time,  and  after  her  own  fashion. 

Some  people  have  an  idea  that  nothing  short  of  firing  or  blis- 
tering can  be  of  any  benefit ;  yet  experience  has  shown  that  the 
practice  is  unsatisfactory,  as  the  reader  will  perceive  on  consult- 
ing English  authority.  The  fact  of  a  few  horses  having  been 
restored  after  the  application  of  the  hot  iron  or  blister  is  not 
proof  positive  of  its  efficacy ;  for,  as  we  have  said  before,  both 
horses  and  men  will  sometimes  get  well  in  spite  of  all  we  can  do 
to  prevent  them.  "We  have  succeeded  in  rendering  horses  as  free 
from  lameness  by  mild  means,  as,  we  think,  can  ever  be  accom- 
plished by  the  scientific,  yet  barbarous  mode  of  fire  and  blister. 
Our  general  advice  is,  during  the  inflammatory  stage,  let  the  ani- 
mal have  rest,  and  apply  cooling,  evaporating  lotions  to  the  parts. 
Our  usual  remedy  in  this  stage  is 

Muriatic  acid, 4  ounces, 

Water, 2  quarts, 

Tincture  of  bloodroot,    ....     6  ounces. 

Applied  daily  by  means  of  a  sponge. 

Another  equally  useful  remedy  may  be  thus  prepared:    Take 

Strong  acetic  acid, 4  ounces, 

Water, 1  quart, 

Proof  spirit, 2  ounces, 

Common  salt, 3  ounces. 

Mix. 

23* 


270  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Our  usual  mode  of  application  is  as  follows :  Take  a  piece  of 
pponge,  slightly  concave,  corresponding  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
form  and  size  of  the  hock ;  by  means  of  a  few  stitches,  affix  two 
pieces  of  tape  or  linen,  so  as  to  form  an  X ;  each  piece  must  be 
long  enough  to  encircle  the  joint  two  or  three  times;  after  dip- 
ping the  sponge  in  the  mixture,  it  must  be  applied  to  the  inside 
of  the  hock,  and  there  secured,  and  afterwards  kept  constantly 
moist.  By  a  faithful  application  of  the  above,  the  inflammatory 
symptoms  (which  are  not  confined  to  the  joint  alone,  but  prevail 
IE  the  surrounding  tissues)  will  soon  subside,  and  anchylosis  pro- 
gresses in  a  slow,  yet  favorable  manner,  without  the  usual  pain 
and  irritation. 

Much  of  the  lameness  in  spavin  arises  in  consequence  of  the 
tumefied  state  of  the  ligamentary  and  sub-cellular  tissues  around 
the  joint.  We  knew  a  horse,  some  time  ago,  that  was  regularly 
worked  on  the  lead  of  a  city  truck,  he  being  the  subject  of  spavin 
on  both  tarsal  joints,  which  were  enormously  swollen ;  and  any 
person  not  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  case  would,  suppose 
that  the  bulk  of  the  enlargement  was  of  a  bony  character,  it 
being  dense,  hard,  and  unyielding.  On  dissection,  however,  the 
bulk  was  the  result  of  a  general  thickening  of  all  the  parts  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  hock  ;  the  exostosis,  or  bony  enlargement,  was  but 
trifling,  and  the  tarsal  bones  —  composing  the  hock  —  were  in  "a 
perfect  state  of  anchylosis.  (See  cuts  of  spavin.)  The  animal, 
up  to  the  period  of  his  death,  was  considered  "a  very  lame 
liorse"  Now,  the  lameness  must  have  been  of  a  ligamentary 
character,  and  not  bony  nor  cartilaginous ;  for  the  bones  were 
united  as  firm  as  a  rock,  leaving  not  the  least  trace  of  inter- 
articular  cartilage. 

In  our  collection  of  morbid  specimens  can  be  seen  two  excel- 
lent specimens  of  spavin,  taken  from  a  horse  formerly  the  prop- 
erty of  a  teamster  doing  business  in  Boston.  The  owner  informed 
us  that  at  the  age  of  eight  the  horse  showed  symptoms  of  spavin  ; 
he  was  immediately  taken  from  work,  and  for  upwards  of  a  year 
was  permitted  to  lead  a  life  of  comparative  rest  in  the  country,  part 
of  the  time  at  grass ;  the  remainder  was  spent  in  bam  and  yard  life. 
During  this  time,  he  was  more  or  less  lame ;  yet  nothing,  by  way 
of  treatment,  was  done  for  him,  except  an  occasional  dash  of  cold 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  271 

water  on  the  diseased  joints.  The  horse,  on  being  put  to  work, 
showed  little  more  than  the  usual  stiffness  consequent  on  anchy- 
losis, —  which  had  probably  then  taken  place,  —  and  he  continued 
to  perform  daily  labor  for  the  space  of  eleven  years,  and  died  at 
the  age  of  nineteen,  of  congestive  pneumony.  The  important 
features  in  the  case  are,  that  there  was  less  of  lameness,  tumefac- 
tion, and  bony  enlargement  than  we  ever  remember  to  have  seen  ; 
and  this  favorable  result  was,  no  doubt,  brought  about  by  the  rest 
and  cold  water  treatment.  The  owner  of  this  horse  was  "  dead 
set "  against  firing  and  blistering,  had  no  faith  in  the  curability  of 
spavin,  and  still  less  in  "  meddlesome  medication"  as  he  termed  it. 
If  the  cure  of  spavin,  then,  consists  —  as  we  are  told  it  does  by 
some  of  our  employers  —  in  merely  freeing  the  horse  from  lame- 
ness, so  that  the  owner  may  get  rid  of  lum  without  much  loss,  or 
if  the  animal  shall  be  restored  to  his  former  usefulness,  yet  still 
having  an  enlarged  hock  (an  eyesore)  and  a  little  stiffness  of  the 
joint,  —  all  this  can  easily  be  accomplished  by  promoting  anchy- 
losis.* We  shall  be  told  that  these  are  no  cures  at  all.  We 
have  examined  several  of  these  wonderful  cures  wrought  by  the 
firing  iron,  and  find  that  they  all  amount  to  about  the  same  thing. 
For  if  any  of  our  professional  brethren  ever  cured  a  case  of 
anchylosis,  which  is  often  a  concomitant  of  spavin,  we  should  like 
to  know  it.  Sir  A.  Cooper  has  pronounced  it  positively  incura- 
ble. In  fact,  partial  anchylosis  is  a  desirable  event  in  the  treat- 
ment of  spavin,  and  one  which  we  always  endeavor  to  induce. 
If  a  horse  happens  to  have  an  enlargement  on  the  inside  of  the 
hock,  and  goes  a  little  lame,  which  he  is  very  apt  to  do  under  the 
circumstances,  it  is  set  down  as  a  spavin  ;  and  the  poor  brute,  if 
he  were  put  into  the  hands  of  a  humane  man,  who  would  prob- 
ably give  him  rest,  and  perhaps  foment  the  limbs,  would  soon 
recover  from  the  imaginary  spavin.  But  it  often  happens  that, 
with  the  very  best  intentions  on  the  part  of  the  owner,  the  patient 

*  Anchylosis.  This  denotes  an  intimate  union  of  two  or  more  bones  which, 
were  naturally  connected  by  a  movable  kind  of  joint.  All  joints  originally  de- 
signed for  motion  may  become  anchylosed ;  that  is,  the  heads  of  the  bones 
forming  them  may  become  so  consolidated  together  that  no  degree  of  motion 
whatever  can  take  place.  In  such  cases  the  interarticular  cartilages  are  ab- 
sorbed, or  become  ossified,  (changed  into  bone.) 


272  THE    MODERN    HORSE   DOCTOR. 

is  handed  over  to  his  tormentors.  "Who  are  his  tormentors  ? 
They  are  not  men  who  have  devoted  a  great  portion  of  their 
lives  to  the  study  of  this  truly  valuable  and  important  branch  of 
science;  for  it*  they  were,  they  would  not  make  such  a  gross 
mistake  as  that  alluded  to.  But  the  very  converse  of  this  is  the 
truth,  and  such  will  be  the  case  until  the  American  people  shall 
educate  our  young  men,  and  qualify  them  to  practise,  on  correct 
principles,  the  veterinary  art. 

However  well  qualified,  by  observation  and  experience,  the 
latter  class  of  men  may  be  to  prescribe  for  simple  forms  of  dis- 
ease, they  cannot  be  trusted  to  perform  an  operation,  one  of  the 
most  difficult  and  dangerous,  and  one  that  requires  a  knowledge 
of  anatomy  and  physiology,  in  order  to  first  diagnose  it  with  any 
degree  of  accuracy.  Surely,  when  men  unacquainted  with  the 
mechanism  of  a  joint  undertake  to  restore  it  to  a  healthy  state  by 
means  of  agents  whose  action  is  to  them  unknown,  then  their 
weapons  are  like  a  sword  in  the  hands  of  a  madman.  It  is  a 
consolation,  however,  to  us,  and  also  to  every  friend  of  humanity, 
to  know  that  the  veterinary  honors  have,  in  a  great  majority  of 
cases,  been  forced  on  this  class  of  practitioners,  and  that  they 
are  willing  to  relinquish  them  so  soon  as  the  legitimate  candidates 
make  their  appearance. 

We  repeat,  then,  that  spavin  cannot  be  radically  cured  ;  for  if 
anchylosis  is  induced,  the  joint  is  still  in  an  abnormal  state.  The 
cartilages,*  (between  the  bones,)  which,  in  their  healthy  state, 
yield  to  chemical  analysis  one  third  their  weight  of  bony  matter, 
are  now  turned  wholly  into  bone  ;  therefore  they  cannot  be 
restored  to  their  elastic  condition. 

If  spavin  exists  in  the  form  of  periosteal  f  exostosis,!  then  we 
think  that,  by  exciting  absorption,  the  deposits  might  be  got  rid  of. 

*  These  are  placed  on  the  surfaces  of  bones,  on  their  movable  articulations, 
and  not  only  serve  as  a  cushion,  to  prevent  concussion,  but  also  to  facilitate 
motion,  and  connect  bones  together. 

f  From  periosteum,  a  membrane  which  covers  the  bones.  It  is  very  strong, 
composed  of  fibres,  highly  organized,  having  numerous  arteries,  veins,  nerves, 
and  absorbents. 

+  Periosteal  exostosis.  Sir  A.  Cooper  defines  this  to  be  a  bony  deposition 
seated  between  the  external  surface  of  the  bone  and  the  internal  surface  of  the 
periosteum,  and  firmly  adherent  to  both. 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  273 

Almost  all  the  veterinary  surgeons  of  the  old  world  have  re- 
sorted to  the  firing  iron  or  blister  for  the  cure  of  spavin  ;  the 
cure,  however,  we  contend,  is  only  imaginary.  The  restoration 
of  the  horse  to  comparative  usefulness  is  the  object,  and  that 
does  not  always  follow ;  yet,  in  justice  to  those  whose  position 
and  long  experience  entitle  them  to  the  confidence  of  the  world, 
we  are  constrained  to  acknowledge  that  their  practice  is  often 
accompanied  with  astonishing  success.  The  practice  of  firing, 
however,  we  do  seriously  oppose  ;  it  is  a  barbarism  that  should 
long  since  have  been  discontinued.  We  never  performed  the 
operation  but  once,  and  have  ever  since  been  sorry  for  it. 

As  to  blisters,  we  regard  them  in  the  light  of  a  last  resort ; 
yet,  when  applied  understandingly,  we  are  not  sure  that  it  would 
be  good  policy  to  oppose  their  use ;  for  they  are  used  by  human 
practitioners  in  urgent  cases  with  marked  success.  Cases  are 
constantly  occurring  in  large  cities,  in  which,  for  several  reasons, 
it  is  our  duty  to  hurry  the  process  of  anchylosis,  and  thus  put  the 
subject  into  working  condition  in  less  time  than  by  the  ordinary 
method  of  nature  !  The  remedy  in  this  view  is  acetate  of  can- 
tharides,  applied  occasionally,  so  as  to  keep  up  an  active  state 
of  inflammatory  action,  by  which  means  the  usual  transforma- 
tions are  effected.  The  remedy  is  contra-indicated  in  all  cases 
of  high  inflammatory  action,  attended  with  heat,  pain,  and  un- 
usual lameness  :  these  states  are  to  be  subdued  by  the  usual  re- 
frigerating and  anodyne  lotions,  ere  we  resort  to  any  preparation 
of  cantharides.  The  above  preparation  does  not  produce  so 
much  pain  or  irritation  as  a  common  blister. 

Nature  and  Seat  of  Spavin.  —  Spavin  is  a  compound  of  two 
diseases,  known  as  exostosis  and  anchylosis :  the  former  signifies 
hypertrophy  of  bone,  (hyperostosis,)  —  morbid  enlargement ; 
anchylosis  signifies  stiff  joint  —  absorption  of  inter-articular  car- 
tilage and  substitution  of  bone.  Anchylosis,  however,  does  not 
take  place  in  what  is  properly  understood  as  the  hock  joint,  com- 
posed of  the  tibia  and  astragalus  —  although  a  very  common  oc- 
currence in  the  human  subject;  but  it  generally  occurs  beneath 
the  true  joint,  within  its  collateral  or  inferior  articulations,  known 
as  the  tarsal  bones.  Spavin,  therefore,  may  commence  in  exos- 
tosis and  end  in  anchylosis,  and  vice  versa.     The  seat  of  spavin, 


274  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

then,  is  on  the  inside  of  the  hock,  in  the  region  of  the  tarsal 
bones,  and  beneath  the  true  joint,  from  which  point  it  may  both 
spread  and  acquire  magnitude.  Hypertrophy,  or  enlargement 
of  the  bone  beneath  the  tarsal  articulations,  occurring  on  the  up- 
per part  of  the  canon,  does  not  constitute  spavin  :  in  England, 
such  an  enlargement  is  denominated  "a  jack." 

As  regards  the  Cause  of  Spavin.  —  From  what  has  preceded, 
the  reader  will  see  that  it  has  two  origins :  1.  Hereditary. 
2.  Exciting. 

1.  Hereditary  Predisposition.  —  Facts  have  proved  conclu- 
sively that  spavin,  as  well  as  predisposition  —  morbid  tendency  — 
to  the  same,  is  transmitted  from  parents  to  offspring.  It  is  prob- 
able, however,  that  predisposition  is  more  frequently  transmitted 
than  actual  disease ;  for  the  latter  does  not  make  its  appearance 
so  early  as  it  otherwise  would  were  it  transmissible.  Spavin  is 
not  peculiar  to  colthood,  but  to  adult  life,  and  even  then  can  often 
be  traced  partly  to  an  exciting  cause  —  strain,  injury,  over-work, 
&c.  Predisposition  may  not  always  have  an  hereditary  origin  ; 
still  it  will  not  differ  in  its  mode  of  action  from  the  former ;  for 
all  predisposing  causes  produce  in  the  economy  certain  changes 
which  may  be  said  to  prepare  it  for  disease ;  and,  therefore,  pre- 
disposition, whatever  its  source,  may  be  considered  as  the  incu- 
bative stage  of  disease. 

2.  Exciting  Causes  are  those  from  which  this  disease  seems 
to  have  direct  origin  —  such,  for  example,  as  strain,  injury,  over- 
work, &c. ;  yet  these  fail  to  produce  spavin  in  a  great  majority 
of  cases ;  in  confirmation  of  which  we  have  only  to  look  into  the 
history  of  our  truck  horses,  particularly  those  use4  for  several 
years  in  the  shafts.  The  herculean  strength  necessary  to  back  a 
load  which  requires  the  united  strength  of  two  or  three  to  draw 
would,  one  would  think,  be  likely  to  produce  spavin ;  yet  a  great 
proportion  of  such  are  exempt  from  this  disease  ;  therefore  we 
may  infer  that  exciting  causes  are  in  some  cases  inoperative,  un- 
less conjoined  with  predisposition. 

Symptoms  of  Spavin.  —  Unfortunately  for  the  poor  brute, 
lameness  is  not  generally  of  that  character  which  incapacitates 
him  for  work ;  and  thus  he  is  urged  to  the  performance  of  his 
duties,  the    disease    progressing,  and    his    sufferings   increasing, 


THE    .MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  275 

until  the  owner  sees  that  the  lameness  is  not  to  be  driven  off. 
The  generality  of  non-professional  men  are  unwilling  to  believe 
in  the  existence  of  spavin,  unless  they  can  both  see  and  feel  it, 
and  are  therefore  more  prone  to  refer  primary  spavin  lameness  to 
some  other  joint,  until,  after  a  few  months  of  intermittent  lame- 
ness, they  are,  by  ocular  demonstration,  convinced. 

Spavin  commencing  in  inter-articular  cartilage  is  not  demon- 
strable in  this  manner  ;  there  is  no  circumscribed  tumor,  nor  ir- 
regularity ;  our  diagnosis  must,  therefore,  be  made  up  from  the 
signs  revealed  —  from  the  heat  and  tenderness  about  the  part, 
of  a  sub-acute  character  —  from  the  absence  of  tumor  —  from 
the  manner  of  catching  up  the  limb  —  and  from  the  intermittent 
nature  of  the  lameness,  which  is  progressive,  yet  fluctuating. 
The  history  of  the  case,  also,  must  be  considered.  If  a  sort  of 
irregular  lameness  has  existed  for  some  months,  referable  to  no 
other  joint  than  the  hock,  and  the  difficulty  has  of  late  gradually 
increased,  so  that  the  joint  appears  stiff,  all  doubts  are  set  aside, 
for  anchylosis  is  hastening  towards  completion ;  after  which  we 
may  expect  to  observe  a  tumor  on  the  inside  of  the  hock.  A  tu- 
mor once  formed  in  the  region  already  referred  to  needs  no  wise 
man  to  point  it  out ;  it  can  be  both  seen  and  felt ;  and  this,  accom- 
panied with  hock  lameness  and  ligamentary  tumefaction,  is  the 
diagnostic  symptom  of  spavin  in  its  exostotic  stage. 

BOG   SPAVIN.  —  (Enlarged  Bursa  Mucosae.) 
BLOOD    SPAVIN.  —  {Local  venous  Congestion.) 

Bog  spavin  is  the  term  usually  given  to  enlarged  mucous  cap- 
sules, or  to  a  distended  state  of  the  sub-cutaneous  veins  in  the  re- 
gion of  the  hock.  In  the  latter  case  it  is  termed  blood  spavin. 
It  will  be  seen,  on  referring  to  article  Spavin,  that  the  above 
abnormal  states  bear  no  resemblance  to  the  latter  ;  therefore  the 
term  is  misapplied,  and  should  not  be  made  use  of  by  any  per- 
son professing  veterinary  knowledge.  Enlarged  mucous  capsules 
in  the  one  case,  and  local  venous  congestion  in  the  other,  are 
significant  terms,  and"by  them  we  understand  the  nature  of  the 
case,  and  also  by  what  means  they  are  to  be  treated. 

The  remedies  for  enlarged  mucous  capsules  are,  in  the  early 


276  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

stage,  cold  water  and  refrigerating  lotions  ;  in  the  latter  stages, 
strong  infusion  of  bayberry  bark  ;  and  lastly,  brandy  and  salt,  per- 
severingly  applied.  Congestion  may  be  treated  in  the  same 
manner,  aided  by  friction. 

WINDGALLS.  —  {Enlarged  Bicrsce  Macosa.) 

The  bursal  capsules  located  just  above  the  fetlock,  as  well  as 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  hock,  secrete  a  synovial  fluid,  corresponding 
to  what  some  persons  term  "joint  oil"  the  use  of  which  is  to 
facilitate  motion.  In  cases  of  this  character,  either  the  walls  of  the 
capsule  are  hypertrophied  —  augmented  in  bulk  —  or  the  syno- 
vial secretion  is  inordinate,  or  else  its  flow  is  obstructed.  Coun- 
ter-irritation, bandage,  friction,  and  regular  exercise  are  the  best 
remedies,  and  yet  they  often  fail  to  remove  the  eyesore. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUT. 


1.  Superior  pastern. 

2.  Inferior  pastern. 

3.  3.  4,  4.  The  joint  anchylosed  —  immovable. 

5.  The  bony  tumor,  extending  laterally,  and  diffusing  itself  in  front  of 
the  joint. 


KIN  GB  ONE. 

Definition.  —  Ringbone  is  a  bony  tumor  —  exostosis  —  situ- 
ated on  or  in  the  vicinity  of  the  pastern  bone,  frequently  ending 
in  anchylosis  of  the  pastern  joint.  Some  very  curious  notions  are 
entertained  of  the  nature  of  ringbone.  As  an  example,  a  late 
writer  in  New  England  tells  us  that  ringbone  is  fed  by  a  bladder 
situated  at  the  posterior  parts  of  the  tumor,  and  recommends  for 
its  cure  the  extraction  of  this  bladder.  This  erroneous  view  of 
the  matter  would  not  amount  to  much,  only  it  has  led  to  the  in- 
fliction of  a  useless  and  cruel  operation,  which  only  tends  to  make 


THE   MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 


27^ 


RINGBONE   AND   ANCHYLOSIS. 


278  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

bad  worse,  and  exhibit  its  advocates  in  the  light  of  barbarians. 
It  is  not  enough,  forsooth,  for  the  poor  subject  of  ringbone  to 
suffer  the  excruciating  torment  attending  tendinous,  ligamentous, 
or  periosteal  inflammation  and  ossification,  but  he  must,  in  addition, 
be  compelled  to  submit  to  atrocities  unheard  of  in  the  history  of 
human  medicine,  and  for  which  the  veterinary  science  of  the 
present  day  furnishes  no  authority,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  one  of 
universal  disapprobation.  It  has  been  our  painful  duty,  occa- 
sionally, to  take  in  charge  subjects  that  have  been  most  shame- 
fully maltreated  for  the  cure  of  ringbone.  One  case,  which  we 
can  never  obliterate  from  memory,  happened  to  a  poor  aged  ani- 
mal, that  for  a  long  period  had  been  a  faithful  slave  to  his  master. 
For  many  years  he  had  been  the  subject  of  this  disease,  and  his 
owner  had  long  since  given  up  all  hopes  of  cure,  till,  at  length, 
one  of  those  exotic,  pestiferous  specimens  of  inhumanity,  termed 
horse  doctors,  —  but  who  Tiave  no  more  claim  to  the  title  than  a 
maniac  or  a  wild  Indian,  —  undertook,  for  the  sum  of  Jive  dollars, 
to  cure  an  hereditary  incurable  disease.  The  owner,  through 
the  deceptive  arguments  of  the  barbarian,  consented  to  an  opera- 
tion, which  for  cruelty  would  have  outdone  an  inquisitor.  It 
consisted  in  cutting  through  the  integuments  down  to  the  bones,  — 
for  both  hind  legs  were  operated  on ;  a  red-hot  iron  was  then 
freely  used  over  the  exposed  surfaces;  some  oil  of  turpentine 
then  being  poured  into  the  horrid  wounds,  it  was  set  on  fire  ;  and 
thus  the  brutal  operation  terminated.  What  a  pity  the  horse  had 
not  the  power  to  make  his  tormentor  exchange  places  with  him, 
and  pay  him  in  his  own  coin !  The  disease  was  not  benefited  by 
the  operation,  as  any  veterinary  surgeon,  had  he  seen  it,  would 
have  foretold  ;  the  case  being  one,  not  only  of  common  ringbone, 
but  also  anchylosis  of  the  pastern  and  coronet  joint.  Without 
occupying  the  reader's  attention  any  longer  in  this  direction,  we 
shall  at  once  proceed  to  causes  of  ringbone,  its  nature  and  treat- 
ment. 

Causes  of  Ringbone. — We  have  no  better  authority  on  this 
subject  than  our  oft-quoted  Percivall,  who  teaches  that  there  are 
"three  kinds  of  causes  —  hereditary,  structural,  and  incidental." 
Our  attention  was  first  drawn  to  the  hereditary  origin  of  ring- 
bone from  a  remark  made  by  an  extensive  dealer  in  horses,  in 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  270 

reply  to  a  question  put  to  him,  how  it  happened  that  but  a  few 
ringbones  were  now  met  with,  compared  to  the  number  that  at- 
tracted notice  in  times  past.  The  reply  was,  "  Because  no 
breeder  of  horses  nowadays  will  send  a  mare  to  a  horse  having 
ringbones."  (A  very  good  example  for  American  horse-breed- 
ers to  follow.)  There  appeared  something  like  reason  and  truth 
in  this ;  and  we  felt  more  inclined  to  attach  faith  to  it,  when 
we  came  to  read  in  Sollysell's  work,  "  The  ringbone  is  some- 
times hereditary ;  though  it  is  usually  occasioned  by  a  strain 
taken  in  curvetting,  bounding  turns,  and  violent  galloping  or 
racing." 

"  That  form,  as  well  as  breed,  is  concerned  in  the  production  of 
ringbone,  we  have  sufficient  living  demonstration.  A  coarse  or 
half-bred,  fleshy,  or  bony-legged  horse,  with  short  and  upright 
pasterns,  is,  we  have  observed,  the  ordinary  subject  of  disease ; 
and  there  exist  satisfactory  reasons  why  we  should  expect  him 
to  be  so.  The  pastern  and  coffin  bones  constitute  the  nethermost 
parts  —  the  pedestals  —  of  the  columns  of  bones  composing  the 
limbs ;  and  being  so,  they  receive  the  entire  weight  and  force 
transmitted  from  above.  The  pastern,  when  long  and  oblique  in 
position,  receives  the  superincumbent  weight  in  such  an  indirect 
line,  that,  bending  towards  the  ground  with  the  fetlock,  nothing 
like  jar  or  concussion  follows.  The  very  reverse  of  this,  how- 
ever, happens  every  time  the  foot  of  a  limb,  having  a  short  and 
upright  pastern,  comes  to  the  ground.  In  it,  instead  of  the  weight 
descending  obliquely  upon  the  sesamoids,  and  the  fetlock  bending 
therewith,  it  descends  direct,  or  nearly  so,  upon  the  pastern, 
making  this  bone  entirely  dependent  upon  the  bone  beneath  it  — 
the  coffin  —  for  counteracting  spring ;  and  should  any  thing  occur 
to  destroy  or  diminish  this  spring,  or  to  throw  more  weight,  or 
sudden  weight,  upon  the  coffin  bone,  than  it  can  counteract,  jar 
of  the  whole  apparatus  ensues,  and  an  effort  of  nature  to  strength- 
en the  parts,  by  investing  them  with  callus  and  ossification,  is 
likely  to  be  the  ultimate  result.  For  we  would  view  ringbone, 
disease  though  it  most  assuredly  must  be  called,  as  frequently,  in 
voung  horses,  a  resource  of  nature  whenever  the  [pastern]  bones 
are  found  unequal  to  the  exertions  or  efforts  required  of  them." 

The  exciting  Causes  of  Ringbone.  —  "  These  may  be  said  to 


280  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR- 

consist  in  any  acts  or  efforts  of  speed  or  strength  productive  of 
concussion  to  the  bones  of  the  pastern.  Some  have  ascribed  the 
presence  of  ringbone  to  blows.  Undoubtedly,  a  blow  upon  a  bone 
would  be  very  likely  to  produce  exostosis  ;  but  the  pastern,  the 
hind  pastern  in  particular,  is  rather  an  unlikely  part  to  be  struck. 
After  inflammation  from  any  cause,  even  after  that  produced  by 
a  common  blister,  very  often  we  know  an  enlargement  of  the 
pastern  will  be  left ;  and  though  this  is  not  called  ringbone,  it 
may  be  regarded  as  something  very  analogous  to  it." 

Nature  of  Ringbone.  — "  Ringbone  is  but  a  species  of  exos- 
tosis —  a  bony  tumor,  which  in  one  situation  constitutes  ring- 
bone, in  another  splent,  in  another  spavin ;  yet  the  three  differ 
as  well  in  their  origin  as  in  their  effects.  Ringbone  has  an  ex- 
ternal origin  ;  and  though  it  may,  from  spreading,  interfere  with 
the  motion  of  a  joint,  still  it  does  not,  that  we  know  of,  produce 
any  affection  of  the  synovial  membrane  ;  spavin,  on  the  con- 
trary, seldom  confines  itself  to  the  external  or  ligamentary  tis- 
sues, but  affects  the  synovial  membrane  as  well ;  and  splent 
originates  in  the  very  joint  —  the  Jibro-cartilaginous  —  which  it 
afterwards  blocks  up  and  grows  from. 

"  Ringbone  is  either  a  ligamentary  or  a  periosteal  affection,  or 
both.  From  the  situation  in  which,  we  commonly  find  it,  and 
from  the  causes  which  are  known  to  give  rise  to  it,  we  believe  it 
usually  to  be  ligamentary  in  its  beginning ;  though,  when  once 
formed  and  given  to  spread,  no  tissue,  save  the  tendons,  escapes 
conversion,  to  contribute  to  the  osseous  mass ;  and  even  the  ten- 
dons themselves  have  been  known  to  become  partly  ossified.  In 
fact,  when  the  exciting  cause  has  been  great,  or  when  there 
exists  an  evident  proneness  in  the  constitution  to  ossific  action, 
such  is  the  extensive  and  varied  form  ossification  takes  on,  that 
we  can  hardly  say  when  it  will  end,  so  long  as  any  soft  tissues 
yet  remain  to  be  converted.  "Writing  in  the  year  1823  on  this 
subject,  with  a  hundred  and  fifty  morbid  specimens  of  the  kind 
upon  the  table  before  us,  we  find  we  were  led  at  the  time  to  make 
the  following  remarks  :  — 

" '  By  far  the  most  common  seats  of  [ossific]  disease  are  the 
pastern,  coronet,  and  coffin  bones.  Out  of  the  said  hundred  and 
fifty  specimens  there  are 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  281 

5  of  complete  anchylosis  of  the  fetlock  joint, 
40  do.  do.        of  the  pastern  joint, 

18  do.  do.        of  the  coffin  joint. 

The  others  are  either  simply  incrusted,  more  particularly  around 
their  extremities,  with  layers  of  new  bone,  or  are  variously  de- 
formed by  exostosis  of  different  shapes,  many  of  which  are  very 
large,  and  several  of  them  confined  to  one  side.  Upon  one  of 
the  pastern  bones  a  complete  osseous  ring  is  formed,  the  result 
of  ossification  of  the  flexor  perforatus  tendon.  In  nearly  all,  the 
disease  appears  to  have  taken  its  rise  at,  and  to  have  spread  from, 
the  pastern  joint ;  there  being  but  few  specimens  in  which  some 
osseous  accretion  is  not  observed  around  the  lower  end  of  the 
pastern  bone  and  the  upper  one  of  the  coronet  bone  ;  which  is 
the  kind  of  deposition  that  gives  rise  to  ringbone.' " 

Treatment  of  Ringbone.  —  The  old  method  of  treating  exos- 
tosis by  fire  and  blister  is  fast  giving  way  to  a  more  rational 
procedure.  It  has  been  discovered  that  there  is  not  really  any 
cure  for  this  malady,  more  than  there  is  for  spavin :  if  we  can 
relieve  the  horse  from  lameness,  that  is  all  that  can  be  expected 
of  us  ;  but  even  then  the  disease  is  not  cured  —  an  eyesore  still 
remains,  and  perhaps  a  stiff  joint.  We  treat  the  disease,  when 
first  discovered,  just  as  we  would  a  recent  splent  or  spavin  —  by 
cooling,  evaporating  lotions,  cold  water  bandages,  &c. ;  rest,  too, 
so  much  disregarded  by  physicians,  and  not  mentioned  by  some 
veterinary  authors,  is  of  some  importance.  Human  practitioners 
realize  how  much  is  gained  by  their  patients,  when  laboring 
under  diseases  of  the  joints,  by  strict  attention  to  rest ;  for  by 
that  means  inflammatory  action  is  kept  within  bounds.  To  con- 
trol inflammatory  action,  and  by  that  means  lessen  pain  and  irri- 
tation within  or  around  a  joint,  should  be  our  first  business  :  from 
this  we  have  seen  great  benefit  derived.  Our  business  as  phy- 
sicians is  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  nature,  and  observe  by 
what  means  she  repairs  injuries  and  performs  her  cures.  We 
shall  find  that  her  cure  of  spavin  and  splent  consists  of  anchy- 
losis ;  all  that  she  requires  for  it  is  rest :  if  any  thing  more 
be  needed,  it  is  revealed  to  her  handmaid,  the  physician.  The 
parts  are  hot  and  inflamed;  cooling  applications  are  needed: 
now  they  are  cold  and  inactive  ;  warmth,  moisture,  and  perhaps 
24* 


ZOZ  TIIE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

stimulants  are  indicated ;  and  so  on  to  the  end.  If  the  physician 
has  learned  to  interpret  the  language  of  nature,  he  is  indeed  her 
handmaid.  In  the  case  of  hip  disease  occurring  in  children  —  the 
natural  cure  of  which  is  anchylosis  —  physicians  enjoin  rest,  which 
favors  union  of  the  diseased  bones.  If  such  means  favor  anchylosis 
in  the  human  subject,  we  cannot  dispense  with  them  when  treat- 
ing the  horse.  The  author  has  tried  such  means,  and  is  satisfied 
that  he  is  on  the  right  track.  In  all  cases,  then,  of  early  disease 
of  this  character,  whether  it  be  periosteal,  bony,  cartilaginous, 
librous,  or  muscular,  cooling  lotions,  fomentations,  light  diet,  and 
rest  are  the  means  most  calculated  to  do  good,  whether  the  in- 
tentions of  nature  are  anchylosis  or  not.  In  chronic  cases  we 
use  aeetate  of  cantharides,  applied  daily,  until  the  parts  appear 
hot  and  tender;  we  then  substitute  cold  water  bandages,  and 
repeat  the  process  if  necessary. 

STRAIN   OF  JOINTS   OK  MUSCLES. 

What  we  understand  by  strain  is  a  common  wrench,  stretching 
a  fibre,  tendon,  or  ligament  beyond  its  physiological  capacity, 
with  or  without  extravasation  of  blood,  generally  followed  by 
pain,  lameness,  and  sometimes  deformity.  In  human  practice, 
the  word  sprain  is  used  to  signify  an  incomplete  luxation,  accom- 
panied with  stretching,  and  more  or  less  laceration  of  the  liga- 
ments of  a  joint,  and  sometimes  with  rupture  of  a  tendon.  Both 
terms  appear  to  apply  to  the  same  state ;  yet,  as  strain  is  the 
word  generally  used  in  horse  practice,  we  prefer  it  to  the  other. 
A  strain  in  the  horse  is  a  very  different  affair  from  what  it  is  in 
man ;  for  rest  —  which  is  the  principal  means  of  cure  —  cannot 
be  insured ;  when  the  patient,  instead  of  cooperating  with  us  in 
keeping  the  limb  quiet,  often  keeps  it  in  constant  motion,  thus 
counteracting  our  best  methods  of  cure.  Then,  again,  if  a  man 
sprains  a  wrist  or  ankle,  he  immediately  adopts  the  best  method 
of  cure,  and  keeps  the'  limb  quiet  until  the  inflammatory  symp- 
toms have  subsided.  But  strain  occurring  in  a  horse  is  not 
thought  much  of  by  the  majority  of  horsemen ;  and  therefore 
the  services  of  a  physician  are  not  called  in  until  the  horse  is  as 
lame  as  a  kitten. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  283 

The  treatment  of  common  strain,  if  seen  early,  is  a  very  sim- 
ple affair,  and  may  be  conducted  somewhat  after  the  following 
manner :  Take  tincture  of  arnica  and  pure  water,  equal  parts  ; 
bathe  the  parts  in  a  thorough  and  careful  manner,  and  apply  a 
cold  water  bandage,  and  continue  the  treatment  until  relief  is 
obtained  :  in  cold  weather,  the  wet  bandage  must  be  covered  with 
dry  cloths,  or  packed. 

STRAIN   OF  THE  FETLOCK. 

Strain  of  the  fetlock  is  frequently  occasioned  by  bending  the 
joint  in  a  lateral  direction,  and  injuring  the  capsular  ligaments  of 
the  joint.  Lateral  motion  in  these  joints  is  very  limited ;  there- 
fore, if  a  horse  treads  on  a  round  body,  or  gets  his  foot  in  a  hole, 
and  the  strain  comes  upon  the  side  of  the  joint,  lameness  is  gen- 
erally the  result. 

Treatment.  —  If  a  loss  of  continuity  has  taken  place  in  any  of 
the  tendons  or  ligaments,  a  starch  bandage  must  be  applied,  in 
the  form  of  figure  8.  If  it  is  nothing  but  a  sprain,  the  cold  water 
bandage  may  suffice.  Any  morbid  habit,  however,  must  be  sub- 
dued by  alterative  medicine.     See  Alteratives. 

STRAIN  OF  THE  KNEE. 
Treatment.  —  The  same  as  in  strain  of  the  fetlock. 

STRAIN  OF  THE   COFFIN  JOINT. 

Treatment.  —  Rest,  cold  water  applications,  cooling  medicine, 
and  light  diet. 

STRAIN  OF  THE  BACK. 

Strain  in  the  back  or  lumbar  region  arises  from  causes  very 
evident  to  those  who  pay  any  attention  to  the  anatomical  struc- 
ture of  the  horse.  Considering  the  heavy  loads  he  is  often  com- 
pelled to  carry  or  draw,  it  is  astonishing  that  he  should  be  so 
free  as  he  is  from  lameness  in  the  back.  The  diagnostic 
symptoms  of  this  form  of  strain  are,  pressure  over  the  lumbar 


284  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

region  elicits  symptoms  of  pain ;  the  part  feels  hot ;  and  the  horse, 
when  compelled  to  describe  a  circle,  shows,  by  the  careful  manner 
in  which  he  turns,  that  it  gives  him  great  pain. 

Treatment.  —  Rest;  applications  of  cold  water;  light  diet;  and 
cream  of  tartar  water  as  a  drink.  One  ounce  of  cream  of  tartar 
to  a  bucket  of  water,  daily.  It  was  customary,  but  a  few  years 
ago,  to  apply  charges,  and  plasters,  to  the  back,  for  the  cure  of 
strain  and  lameness.  But  the  day  of  plasters,  in  human  as  well 
as  veterinary  practice,  has  gone  by;  they  are  now  only  used  by 
those  who  have  never  taken  the  trouble  to  understand  the  exha- 
latory  function  of  the  skin  —  which  salutary  function  plasters 
obstruct ;  the  wet  sheet  next  the  skin,  and  a  blanket  over  it,  will 
je  more  likely  to  do  good  than  a  plaster.  Should  the  horse  show 
more  than  ordinary  symptoms  of  pain,  a  fomentation  of  hops 
should  be  resorted  to ;  if,  after  a  day  or  so,  the  pain  is  still  mani- 
fest, the  trouble  is  something  more  than  mere  strain,  and  the 
owner  had  better  consult  a  medical  man. 

STRAIN  OF  THE   SHOULDER. 

Treatment.  —  The  part  must  be  sponged,  two  or  three  times  a 
day,  with  diluted  tincture  of  arnica.  In  fact,  a  common  strain  of 
any  part  of  the  muscular  system  may  be  treated  in  the  same 
manner ;  at  the  same  time  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  state  of 
the  bowels. 

THOROUGHPIN.  —  {Enlarged  bursa.) 

Thoroughpin  makes  its  appearance  in  the  form  of  bursal 
swelling,  the  fluid  of  which  can  be  squeezed  from  one  side  to  the 
other :  it  is  located  in  the  region  of  the  hock,  in  a  space  bounded 
by  the  os  calcis,  tendo  achillis,  and  lower  end  of  the  tibia.  It 
seldom  occasions  lameness,  but  is  considered  a  sad  blemish ;  for 
the  removal  of  which,  Mr.  Gloag,  V.  S.,  recommends  acupunc- 
titration  and  pressure.  The  following  case,  from  the  Veteri- 
narian, illustrates  his  mode  of  procedure  :  — 

"July  11,  1850,  a  chestnut  mare,  aged  four  years,  admitted 
with  a  large  thoroughpin,  off  hock.  This  had  existed  four  or  five 
months,  and  seemed  to  be  increasing  in  size.     It  was  proposed  to 


TIIE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  285 

me  that  the  hock  should  be  extensively  fired ;  but,  instead  of  so 
doing,  the  following  plan  of  treatment  was  adopted  :  — 

"  I  cut  a  slice,  transversely,  about  half  an  inch  in  thickness,  off 
a  large  bottle  cork,  and  this  was  pierced  by  four  common-sized 
darning  needles,  so  that  their  points  projected  about  half  an  inch 
from  the  surface.  The  cork  was  used  in  order  to  give  the  needles 
a  firm  position,  and  to  admit  of  the  distances  of  their  projecting 
points  being  graduated  according  as  required.  I  then  plunged 
the  needles  into  the  enlarged  sac,  on  each  side,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  a  slight  oozing  of  serous  fluid.  The  hock  was  after- 
wards ordered  to  be  well  fomented.  This  treatment  was  daily 
repeated  until  the 

"  16th,  when  no  particular  change  had  occurred.  The  opera- 
tion was  to  be  daily  continued ;  but,  instead  of  fomenting  after  the 
puncturing,  the  parts  were  to  be  well  smeared  with  an  ointment 
composed  of  hydriodate  of  potass  one  part,  mercurial  ointment 
one  part,  blister  ointment  half  part,  and  lard  ten  parts. 

"25th.  The  thoroughpin  is  evidently  somewhat  reduced. 
After  each  operation  the  swelling  partly  subsides,  but  subsequently 
fills  again.  The  ointment  is  occasionally  discontinued  for  a  day. 
I  was  now  resolved  to  try  the  effect  of  pressure.  For  this  pur- 
pose I  applied  a  spring  truss  to  the  hock,  upon  the  enlarged 
bursa,  which  was  to  be  daily  punctured,  as  before,  with  the  appli- 
cation of  the  ointment  as  often  as  it  could  be  safely  used.  After 
the  first  application  of  the  truss,  it  was  quite  astonishing  to 
observe  the  difference  in  the  enlargement,  which  had  become 
quite  soft,  and  evidently  showed  that  its  contents  would  be 
absorbed.  The  mare  wore  this  truss  day  and  night,  and  took  her 
walking  exercise  in  it  daily.  I  need  not  follow  the  case  in  detail, 
but  simply  state  that,  on  the 

10th  Aug.,  the  enlargement  of  the  hock  was  almost  gone,  and 
that,  in  a  very  short  time  afterwards,  it  became  as  clean  as  the 
other  joint.     The  truss  was  discontinued  on  the 

"  20th  Aug.,  when  the  mare  was  discharged.  Up  to  the  present 
time  there  has  been  no  appearance  of  a  return  of  the  affection. 

"Remarks.  —  This  is  the  fourth  case  I  have  treated  success- 
fully in  this  way ;  and,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  the  plan,  I  am 
quite  satisfied  it  is  extensively  applicable.     The  late  Mr.  Ions,  of 


/80  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"Waterford,  many  years  ago,  was  the  first  person  who  mentioned 
to  me  about  puncturation  with  needles  :  he  told  me  it  was  a  very 
common  practice  with  him.  This  case,  however,  did  not  fully 
answer  my  expectation  ;  and  the  matter  remained  unsettled  in  my 
mind  until  I  saw  in  the  pages  of  the  Veterinarian  a  drawing  and 
account  of  a  spring  truss  for  the  hock,  where  the  two  remedies, 
puncturation  and  pressure  conjointly,  struck  me  as  being  very 
feasible ;  and  now  I  am  quite  satisfied  that  they  will  answer  in 
many  cases.  I  do  not  think  that  bursal  enlargements  can  with 
safety  be  opened  in  any  other  way  than  by  puncturation  with 
needles." 

OPEN  JOINT.* 

Open  joint,  or  broken  knees,  as  some  term  it,  is  generally  occa- 
sioned by  falling  on  them ;  open  joint,  however,  is  an  opening 
into  its  capsular  ligament,  which  may  also  be  made,  by  accident 
or  design,  with  any  sharp  instrument.     Cases  of  open  joint  very 

*  Open  Joint.  —  On  page  377,  No.  67,  third  series,  London  Veterinarian, 
we  find  a  communication  from  E.  Mayhew,  (a  part  of  which  we  submit  to  the 
reader,)  on  the  treatment  of  this  lesion  :  — 

"  For  a  long  time  it  occurred  to  me,  that  the  present  treatment  of  open  joints 
was  based  upon  false  principles.  What  could  Coleman  mean  by  the  free  use 
of  the  budding  iron,  which  he  both  taught  and  practised  ?  In  the  first  place, 
when  a  knee  is  opened,  the  injury  does  not  stop  there ;  we  know  little  of  the 
real  state  the  part  will  ultimately  assume  for  three  days  or  a  week  ;  we  must 
wait  till  the  slough  has  taken  place  before  we  can  pronounce  a  definite  judg- 
ment of  the  extent  of  the  wound ;  then  applying  the  hot  iron,  even  supposing 
it  upon  each  application  to  act  as  the  late  professor  intended,  was  merely  to 
singe  that  which  must  eventually  come  away.  It  must,  however,  be  a  good- 
sized  budding  iron,  which  is  to  fit  the  orifice  left,  after  the  vast  majority  of 
sloughs  have  fallen  off.  But  setting  aside  the  folly  of  that  remedy  which  is 
of  no  use  when  we  most  require  assistance,  did  it  never  strike  the  advocates 
of  the  iron,  that,  if  it  is  sometimes  reparative,  it  is  more  often  destructive  in  its 
agency  ?  Is  it  fair  or  prudent  to  employ  upon  other  people's  property  a  remedy 
which,  if  its  chance  of  doing  good  do  not  answer,  is  certain  of  doing  serious 
harm  ?  Yet  I  say  too  much,  when  I  allow  it  has  a  chance  of  doing  good.  Heat 
an  iron  to  any  extent  that  it  may  please  the  operator,  then  plunge  it  into  the 
white  of  a  broken  egg.  Hold  it  within  the  substance  till  the  iron  cools,  or  is 
of  a  dead  heat,  and  then  withdraw  it.  In  what  condition  will  the  iron  be  when 
it  is  taken  out  ?  Yet  this  is  exactly  the  basis  upon  which  Mr.  Coleman  used  to 
advocate  the  use  of  the  budding  iron.  The  iron  plunged  into  white  of  egg 
will  be  coated  with  its  coagulation,  and  the  same  weapon  inserted  among 
synovia  will  be  covered  with  the  like  product.    The  substance  which  was  to  bo 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  287 

seldom  occur ;  the  horse,  in  falling  on  his  knees,  merely  lacerates 
the  integuments,  and,  perhaps,  punctures  the  sheath  of  the  ex- 
tensor tendon  which  passes  over  the  knee,  from  whence  synovial 
fluid  escapes,  and  this  is  mistaken  for  the  true  joint  synovia 
Such  an  injury,  although  simple  as  it  may  appear,  often  termi- 
nates in  anchylosis  of  the  carpal  bones. 

Treatment.  —  Supposing  the  horse  to  have  just  fallen,  let  the 
part  be  cleansed  of  foreign  bodies ;  then  remove  all  the  pendent 
skin,  and  clip  the  hair  short,  (it  is  of  no  use  to  try  to  heal  by 
first  intention  —  therefore  sutures  are  useless  ;)  we  then  ascertain, 
by  probe,  if  the  joint  be  opened ;  but  whether  it  be  so  or  not,  our 
first  dressing  consists  of  a  pledget  saturated  with  tincture  of  aloes 
and  myrrh,  over  which  apply  a  cold  water  bandage.  Rest  and 
a  light  diet  follow.  The  dressing  is  not  to  be  removed  until  sup- 
puration commences,  which  will  be  in  the  course  of  two  or  three 
days ;  then  cleanse  and  apply  a  paste  of  charcoal  and  fir  balsam, 
and  bandage  as  before.  In  cases  of  open  joint  with  profuse  dis- 
charge of  synovia,  add  an  equal  quantity  of  pulverized  bayberry 
bark  to  the  charcoal,  and  dust  the  parts  frequently  with  the  same, 
without  removing  the  dressing  ;  for  the  wound  must  not  be  ex- 
posed, unless  absolutely  necessary.  We  once  cured  a  rather  bad 
case  of  open  joint  by  covering  the  chasm  with  paste  formed  of  fir 
balsam,  powdered  myrrh,  and  charcoal ;  over  this  was  placed  a 
piece  of  lint,  and  a  nicely-adjusted  splint  was  fixed  to  the  back  of 
the  knee  joint,  and  over  the  whole  a  starched  bandage  three 
inches  wide  and  five  yards  in  length. 

left  behind  to  serve  as  a  plug  will  come  away,  and  the  injury  be  aggravated, 
the  bad  effects  alone  being  left  behind.     I  know  the  iron  is  now  recommended 
for  small  openings  alone  ;  but  there  may  be  a  small  opening  in  the  first  instance, 
which,  when  the  slough  takes  place,  shall  prove  a  large  one;  and  what  can  be 
the  service  of  a  remedy  which  is  uncertain  in  its  action,  injurious  in  its  appli- 
cation, and  which  does  not  provide  for  the  natural  after-consequences  ?     There 
remains  yet  another  mode  of  treatment  to  be  mentioned :  this  consists  simply 
in  mechanically  stopping  the  flow  of  synovia,  —  placing  a  cork  in  the  orifice,  as 
I  have  heard  it  elegantly  expressed.     Now,  as  open  joint  is  generally  accom- 
panied by  a  lacerated  wound,  a  lacerated  wound  must  close  by  suppuration; 
then,  in  thus  plugging  the  orifice,  they  not  only  prevent  the  escape  of  synovia 
but  at  the  same  time  they  dam  up  the  pus.     It  matters  not  whether  lime,  cor 
rosive  sublimate,  compound  tincture  of  aloes,  with  a  pledget  of  tow  and  band 
ages,  India  rubber,  or  brown  paper  be  used  ;  the  principle  is  the  same." 


288 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 


Fig.  1. 


Fig.  2. 


APPARATUS   FOR  DISLOCATION   OF  THE  FETLOCK. 


EXPLANATION  OF  CUT. 
Fig.  1  represents  the  outside  of  a  horse's  leg,  with  the  apparatus  fixed. 

A.  One  of  the  supporters  of  the  leg,  extending  from  the  ground  surface  of 
the  foot  to  within  a  little  of  the  hock,  made  of  stoutish  iron,  curved  and  adapted 
to  suit  the  convexity  of  the  fetlock  joint ;  its  upper  portion,  B,  being  rounded 
and  turned  downwards,  to  prevent  abrasion,  and  to  form  a  loop  to  receive  and 
keep  a  leathern  strap  in  its  place ;  its  lower  having  a  screwed  end,  which  is 
passed  through  a  hole  in  the  projecting  portion,  C,  at  the  side  of  the  shoe,  and 
firmly  fixed  by  means  of  a  nut,  D. 

E.  A  plate  of  iron,  riveted  on  the  supporter,  having  a  convexity  on  its  exter- 
nal and  a  concavity  on  its  internal  surface,  to  receive  the  joint. 

F.  A  leathern  strap,  with  buckle  attached,  to  be  fastened  round  the  leg. 

Fig.  2. 

A,  A.  The  corresponding  internal  supporter. 

B.  The  shoe,  unattached,  showing  its  two  lateral  projections,  C,  C,  contain- 
ing holes  for  the  reception  of  the  supporters. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  289 

The  bandage  remained  on  for  six  days ;  during  which  time  the 
patient  was  kept  on  his  legs.  On  removing  the  bandage,  care  was 
taken  not  to  disturb  the  lint ;  some  fresh  paste  was  smeared  over 
it,  and  a  cold  water  bandage  substituted  for  one  of  starch.  The 
chasm  was  finally  healed  by  the  use  of  collodion  and  fir  balsam 
without  bandage. 

In  slight  wounds  of  the  knee,  it  is  sufficient  to  cleanse  the  part, 
and  wet,  occasionally,  with  arnica  —  two  ounces  of  tincture  to 
one  pint  of  water,  accompanied  with  rest. 


DISLOCATION. 


By  dislocation  is  meant  the  displacement  of  a  bone  from  its 
articulating  socket.  The  most  common  accidents  of  this  charac- 
ter occur  in  the  stifle  and  fetlock  joints,  although,  excepting  the 
elbow  and  coffin  joints,  all  articulating  surfaces  in  the  horse  are 
susceptible  of  dislocation.  In  this  country,  very  little  attention 
has  ever  been  paid  to  the  treatment  of  either  dislocation  or  frac- 
ture, and,  in  consequence,  very  many  valuable  horses  have  been 
condemned,  or  abandoned  by  their  owners  for  a  mere  trifle,  that 
might  have  been  restored  to  comparative  soundness.  Horses 
have  been  known  to  recover  from  dislocation  of  the  spine,  shoul- 
der, hip,  and  we  have  had  several  cases  of  this  kind,  occurring 
in  the  stifle  and  fetlock,  that  have  terminated  favorably. 

Dislocation  of  the  Neck,  or  cervical  vertebrae,  is  occasioned  by 
a  horse  pitching  forward,  or  suddenly  falling  at  a  time  when  his 
head  is  turned  in  a  lateral  direction  ;  or  he  may  get  into  what  is 
termed  an  awkward  fix,  across  the  stall,  or  under  the  manger, 
unable  to  extricate  himself,  and  thus  dislocates  the  bones  of  the 
neck.  The  diagnostic  symptoms  are,  muscular  paralysis,  unnat- 
ural curvature  of  the  neck;  the  head  at  the  same  time  being 
more  or  less  pendulous,  and  at  a  certain  point  on  the  convex 
side  of  the  neck  will  be  felt  a  space  and  fulcrum  of  motion. 

The  means  of  reduction  are,  warm  fomentations  to  the  con- 
cave side  of  the  neck,  gradual  extension,  and  manipulation. 
-25 


290  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

The  extension,  however,  consists  of  little  else  than  slowly  and 
steadily  turning  the  head  to  the  central  part  of  the  body,  while  the 
operator  presses  with  one  or  both  knees  on  the  most  prominent 
part  of  the  convex  angle.  The  animal  is  supposed  to  be  down, 
and  the  ordinary  precaution  taken  to  secure  his  limbs  in  hob- 
bles or  by  means  of  rope.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  the 
muscles  on  the  convex  side  of  the  neck  are  lacerated :  in  that 
case,  even  after  reduction,  the  neck  would  still  incline  to  an  an- 
gle ;  to  obviate  which,  a  sort  of  concave  splint  must  be  applied 
to  the  concave  side,  reaching  from  the  angle  of  the  jaw  to  the 
shoulder,  being  curved  and  padded  at  each  end,  for  the  recep- 
tion of  their  respective  parts,  and  then  confined  by  rollers, 
straps,  &c. 

Dislocation  of  the  Shoulder  is  reduced  also  by  extension  and 
manipulation  ;  but,  owing  to  the  shallow  cavity  of  the  lower 
part  of  the  shoulder  blade,  it  is  very  difficult  to  retain  the  parts 
in  apposition ;  still  the  animal  is  not  to  be  sacrificed  until  means 
have  been  tried,  which  are,  continual  pressure  backward  on  the 
head  of  the  humerus.  The  diagnostic  symptoms  are,  promi- 
nence of  the  head  of  the  humerus,  and  inability  to  bring  the  limb 
forward. 

Dislocation  of  the  Hip,  —  Very  little  hopes  can  be  entertained 
of  reducing  so  formidable  a  displacement;  for  the  head  of  the 
thigh  bone  is  generally  thrown  out  of  its  socket  on  the  pelvis, 
and  the  abductors  exert  such  a  powerful  force  upward  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  counteract  them ;  still  we  should  not  de- 
spair. There  is  a  horse  now  in  existence  within  a  few  miles 
of  Boston,  that,  three  years  ago,  slipped  on  turning  a  corn er, 
and  dislocated  the  thigh  bone,  the  head  of  which  could  be  dis- 
tinctly seen  and  felt.  The  unfortunate  subject  was  carried  home 
on  a  sled  ;  the  owner  treated  him  on  the  hydropathic  principle, 
and  left  the  case  to  nature,  without  making  any  attempts  at  re- 
duction. At  the  end  of  six  months,  he  could  hobble  along  pretty 
well ;  all  that  could  be  noticed  was,  a  prominence  on  the  hip 
and  a  shortening  of  the  limb.  Up  to  the  present  time  he  has 
gradually  improved,  so  as  to  become  quite  useful  in  doing  light 
work.  The  means  are  simple,  and  the  author  has  no  better  to 
offer. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  291 

Dislocation  of  the  Stifle  Bone.  —  If  we  should  believe  all  the 
stories  that  are  told  us  of  horses  having  the  stifle  out,  the  diffi- 
culty would  appear  to  occur  very  -often,  which,  in  fact,  is  not  the 
case.  We  are  frequently  called  to  see  horses  said  to  have  their 
stifle  out,  which,  on  examination,  turn  out  to  be  sprain  of  the 
fetlock,  or  punctured  foot.  The  error  arises  in  consequence  of  a 
lack  of  anatomical  knowledge ;  for  the  symptoms  of  each  are  so 
different  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  a  veterinary  surgeon  to 
make  such  a  gross  mistake.  The  stifle  joint  is  composed  of  the 
lower  end  of  the  femur,  upper  end  of  the  tibia,  and  patella,  the 
latter  corresponding  to  the  kneepan  of  man.  So  soon  as  the  pa- 
tella —  stifle  bone  —  is  luxated,  the  horse  is  unable  to  advance 
the  limb  ;  it  is  stiffened  and  protruded  backwards ;  and,  on  ex- 
ploring the  region  of  the  patella,  it  will  be  found  outside  the  ex- 
ternal condyle  of  the  femur.  When  the  bone  is  dislocated  in- 
wards, the  limb  will  be  drawn  upwards,  the  animal  being  unable 
to  rest  on  it. 

The  reduction  is  effected  by  bringing  the  limb  forwards  and 
upwards,  at  the  same  time  pressing  the  patella  towards  its  origi- 
nal position.  After  the  bone  has  been  replaced,  it  must  be  held 
there  until  the  muscles  have  regained  some  degree  of  contractility. 
The  parts  must  then  be  kept  wet  with  cold  water,  until  an  infu- 
sion of  bayberry  or  white  oak  bark  can  be  prepared,  which  may 
be  used  pretty  freely  about  the  joint  for  several  days. 

Dislocation  of  the  Fetlock.  —  See  cut,  p.  288.  The  author  has 
no  personal  experience  in  the  use  of  such  apparatus  delineated 
in  the  cut ;  yet  it  is  spoken  highly  of  by  some  veterinary  surgeons. 

The  best  method  the  author  knows  of  for  treating  dislocation 
of  the  fetlock  is  by  means  of  starched  bandages.  A  dislocation 
of  this  joint  is  easily  detected.  Its  reduction  can  be  effected  by 
any  one :  a  little  starch  and  a  narrow  bandage,  five  yards  in 
length,  are  all  the  appliances  needed.  Rest,  light  diet,  and  atten- 
tion to  the  patient,  complete  the  cure. 


292  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

DISEASES  OF  THE  SKIN  AND  SUB-CELLULAR  TISSUES. 

GREASE,    OR   SCRATCHES. 

"  The  presence  of  grease  is  a  pretty  infallible  test  of  negli- 
gent grooming."  —  Percivall. 

Grease,  or  what  is  more  generally  known  in  the  United  States 
as  scratches,  is  a  disease  of  frequent  occurrence.  It  probably 
originates,  like  many  other  cutaneous  affections,  in  a  foul  habit 
of  body  —  a  retention  of  morbific  materials  in  the  system,  or, 
more  properly  speaking,  congestion  of  the  superficial  capillary 
vessels.  The  disease  is  said  to  be  most  prevalent  in  the  cold 
months.  We  know  that  at  this  particular  season  the  function 
of  the  skin  is  more  or  less  interrupted ;  the  insensible  transpira- 
tion, being  neither  so  regular  nor  profuse  as  in  the  warm 
months,  must  result  in  an  accumulation  of  excrementitious  mate- 
rial ;  hence  the  difficulty. 

The  cavicy  just  above  the  heels  of  a  horse,  like  that  under  the 
axilla,  or  armpit,  of  man,  is  furnished  with  a  large  number  of 
exhalants  —  secreting  and  excreting  glands  ;  and  when  the  ani- 
mal is  in  a  state  of  health,  and  these  vessels  in  a  normal  con- 
dition, the  moisture  (if  it  may  be  so  termed)  keeps  the  parts 
soft  and  pliant,  lubricates  the  external  surfaces,  thus  preserving 
them  against  friction,  irritation,  and  disease  ;  at  the  same  time  the 
system  is  relieved  from  the  burden  of  a  large  amount  of  morbid 
matter.  Sometimes  the  morbid  materials  are  retained  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  parts,  in  consequence  of  the  accumula- 
tion of  filth  on  the  surface,  or  from  the  chilling  influence  of  a 
draught  of  cold  air  on  the  legs  after  they  have  been  washed. 

It  is  well  known  that  variations  of  temperature  always  have  a 
:endency  to  disturb,  and  partially  check,  the  cutaneous  exhala- 
tions ;  yet  they  cannot  be  set  down  as  direct  causes  of  grease, 
though  they  may  be  classed  among  the  indirect. 

Mr.  Percivall,  in  his  lectures,  thus  refers  to  this  disease  : 
"  The  etiology  of  grease  throws  considerable  light  upon  its  verita- 
ble nature.  Horses  which  are  at  pasture  or  in  straw  yards  — 
in  situations,  in  fact,  where  heat  and  cold  are  not  naturally,  and 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  293 

cannot  be  artificially,  made  suddenly  operative  upon  the  heels  — 
rarely  have  grease.  Those  that  have  grease  in  stables  are 
mostly  coach  and  cart  horses,  with  thick,  fleshy  heels  and  white 
legs  ;  which  are  subject  to  get  their  heels  wet,  and  do  not  com- 
monly have  such  pains  bestowed  upon  them,  to  dry  the  legs,  as 
hackneys,  hunters,  and  racers  have.  Indeed,  among  the  latter, 
grease  is  a  very  uncommon  disease.  Such  horses  also  stand  in 
stables  hot  and  filthy  from  dung  and  urine,  the  very  exhalations 
from  the  litter  of  which  proves  an  additional  excitement. 

u  Grease  formerly  made  great  ravages  in  the  English  cavalry 
and  ordnance  service ;  whereas  at  the  present  day  the  disease  is 
scarcely  known.  This  change  for  the  better  is  ascribed  to  three 
causes  —  to  proper  ventilation  of  the  stables;  the  greater  atten- 
tion paid  to  grooming;  and  to  the  presence  of  a  veterinary  sur- 
geon, who  checks,  at  the  onset,  such  a  casual  occurrence." 

Sainbel,  who  wrote  An  Essay  on  Grease,  for  which  he  was 
presented  with  a  prize  by  the  Royal  Society  of  Medicine  in 
France,  thus  commences  his  paper :  "  Grease  is,  in  general,  a 
cutaneous,  chronic  affection  ;  sometimes  inflammatory,  sometimes 
infectious,  and  I  have  known  it  contagious.  It  invades  the  legs 
of  horses,  asses,  and  mules,  but  seldom  attacks  those  of  the  ru- 
minating species.  We  are  told  that  cow-pock  had  its  origin  in 
the  transfer  of  the  matter  of  grease  from  the  heel  of  a  horse  to 
the  teat  of  a  cow,  and  that  the  disease  may  be  communicated  to  the 
human  subject  by  inoculation  with  this  matter,  the  same  as  with 
that  taken  from  the  ulcerated  teat  of  the  cow.  Some  have  gone 
further  than  this,  and  said  that  glanders  and  farcy  could  be  gen- 
erated in  this  way.  The  accounts  of  these  strange  transactions, 
however,  have  made  but  little  impression  ;  for  we  hear  nothing 
of  them  nowadays  ;  and  that  is  not  a  very  bad  criterion  of  their 
want  of  truth  and  foundation  altogether.  I  have  heard  Pro- 
fessor Coleman  say,  that  there  never  was  a  well-authenticated 
case  of  cow-pock  being  produced  from  grease ;  and  I  verily  be- 
lieve myself —  though  I  do  not  know  that  the  fact  has  been  ex- 
perimented on  —  that  there  is  no  truth  of  its  being  communicable 
among  horses.  In  certain  seasons  and  situations,  the  disease  is 
certainly  sporadic,  (affecting  a  few  at  any  time  or  season;)  but, 
then,  the  causes  are  too  manifestly  operative  among  horses 
25* 


294  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

under  the  same  circumstances,  to  refer  its  production  to  infection 
or  contagion." 

The  reader  will  perceive  from  these  remarks  that  proper  ven- 
tilation of  the  stables,  good  grooming,  (which  includes  care  and 
attention  to  the  general  management  of  the  animal,)  and  the 
knowledge  obtained  of  the  laws  of  animal  life  and  the  conditions 
requisite  for  its  perpetuity,  derived  through  the  medium  of  the 
veterinary  art,  are  the  means  of  prevention  best  calculated  to 
remedy  the  evil. 

Symptoms  of  Grease.  —  In  the  early  stage  of  grease,  the 
primary  symptoms  attending  common  inflammatory  affections, — 
viz.,  heat,  tenderness,  and  tumefaction  —  are  generally  present. 
On  applying  the  hand  to  the  heel  and  fetlock,  the  parts  will 
be  found  hot,  and,  under  pressure,  the  animal  will  evince  signs 
of  pain  ;  the  parts  have  a  greasy  feel,  and  the  morbid  matter, 
which  oozes  through  the  tegumentary  tissues,  has  a  fetid,  un- 
pleasant smell.  As  the  disease  progresses,  the  parts  become 
swollen,  —  infiltrated  with  serum  of  a  morbid  character,  —  thus 
increasing  the  inflammatory  symptoms,  and  causing  the  animal 
much  pain,  which  he  usually  evinces  by  occasionally  catching  up 
the  foot,  as  it  is  termed.  The  offensive  matter  on  the  surface  of 
the  heels  now  becomes  more  profuse;  the  hairs  stand  out  hori- 
zontally, and  sometimes,  even  a  long  time  after  the  animal  is 
considered  cured,  the  hair  still  continues  to  wear  an  unnatural 
aspect.  This  is  owing,  probably,  to  the  fact  that  the  disease  has 
extended  to  the  hair  bulbs.  When  the  disease  attacks  both  hind 
legs,  the  pain  is  sometimes  intense,  especially  if  the  horse  be 
plethoric,  or  his  system  is  charged  with  morbid  humors.  In  the 
latter  case,  the  greasy  discharge  is  very  profuse ;  for  the  pent-up 
waste  matters  have  now  found  an  outlet,  which,  according  to 
principles  purely  hydrostatic,  admit  of  a  free  discharge  of  the 
fluids  of  the  body. 

The  symptoms,  however,  thus  far  detailed,  apply  to  grease  in 
what  may  be  considered  a  comparatively  mild  form,  as  we  often 
observe  it  in  horses  used  for  general  purposes  in  this  city.  In 
such  cases,  exercise  and  light  work  rather  tend  to  lessen  the 
6  welling  and  pain  than  otherwise  ;  and  the  patient,  after  having 
travelled  a  short  distance,  under  a  light  load,  seems  comparatively 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  295 

free  from  lameness,  which,  together  with  oedema,  again  returns 
after  standing  a  few  hours  in  the  stable.  If  the  disease  is  at  this 
stage  promptly  met  with  skill  in  the  application  of  suitable  medi- 
cinal agents,  it  generally  yields ;  but  if  neglected,  it  is  very  apt  to 
assume  the  form  of  a  pustular  eruption,  and,  subsequently,  gran- 
ulating excrescences. 

During  the  year  1852,  a  mild  form  of  grease,  usually  de- 
nominated scratches,  has  been  unusually  prevalent  in  the  New 
England  States ;  the  subjects  of  which  disease,  in  a  great  major- 
ity of  cases,  were  in  a  state  of  plethora.  In  short,  there  was  an 
evident  disproportion  between  the  daily  allowance  of  food  and 
the  amount  of  labor  performed,  or,  in  other  words,  an  unequal 
proportion  between  the  oxygen  respired  and  the  amount  of  carbon 
(in  the  form  of  food)  taken  into  the  system  at  any  given  time. 

Some  of  these  cases  yielded  very  readily  to  local  treatment, 
while  others  required  active  general  treatment  —  a  purification 
of  the  fluids  and  a  restoration  of  the  healthy  secretions. 

The  disease,  after  having  passed  the  primary  stage,  as  just 
alluded  to,  assumes  a  more  malignant  character.  Granulated 
excrescences  and  an  offensive  discharge  appear.  Sainbel  com- 
pares such  granulations  to  the  "  outward  coat  of  a  pineapple  ;  " 
and  some  call  them  grapes.  The  disease  at  this  stage  affects  the 
general  health,  more  or  less ;  and  the  patient  has  sympathetic 
fever ;  the  appetite  is  impaired,  and  other  functions,  in  a  certain 
extent,  are  perverted.  Cases  of  a  very  malignant  character  are 
recorded  by  veterinary  writers;  but  the  disease  is  so  readily 
recognized,  even  by  the  merest  tyro  in  veterinary  matters,  that 
the  writer  deems  it  unnecessary  to  extend  these  remarks  further 
than  to  advise  those  who  wish  to  perfect  themselves  in  this  pecu- 
liar branch  to  consult  the  works  of  Mr.  Percivall. 

Treatment.  —  This  will  depend  somewhat  on  the  stage  and  in- 
tensity of  the  malady,  and  the  state  of  the  patient's  health.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark,  however,  that  a  great  change  for  the  better 
has  taken  place  during  the  past  twenty-five  years.  Among  those 
who  have  been  foremost,  both  by  their  influence  and  daily  prac- 
tice, in  producing  so  favorable  results,  stands  the  name  of  Mr. 
Percivall.  In  the  early  period  of  the  history  of  our  art,  notwith- 
standing popular  prejudice  favored  the  ancient  barbarous  methods 


296  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

of  cure,  this  individual  advocated  a  system  of  medication  tem- 
pered with  mercy,  instead  of  barbarity.  Let  the  reader  under- 
stand, that,  in  those  times,  the  most  inhuman  atrocities  were 
perpetrated  on  the  bodies  of  uncomplaining  brutes,  and  the  most 
destructive  "  remedies  "  were  called  into  requisition,  to  fill  up  the 
measure  of  their  woes ;  the  law  of  humanity,  as  applied  to  the 
brute  creation,  was  generally  disregarded  —  for  it  was  only  until 
cruelty  to  animals  was  made  a  penal  offence  that  the  masses 
were  restrained  in  their  shameful  career  of  ingratitude.  Contrast 
the  treatment  recommended  by  this  distinguished  surgeon  with 
that  of  some  others,  whose  chief  agents  for  the  cure  of  grease 
were,  corrosive  sublimate,  muriatic  acid,  antimony,  lead,  &c,  and 
we  are  led  to  exclaim,  that  a  humane  surgeon  is  more  to  be 
admired  than  the  hero  of  a  hundred  battles. 

In  the  early  stage  of  disease  attention  must  be  paid  to  diet, 
ventilation,  and  cleanliness.  If  the  heels  are  hot  and  swollen, 
apply  the  following  poultice :  — 

Slippery  elm,  powdered,    .    .     .    ^  a  pound, 
Fine  salt, 2  ounces. 

Mix  to  a  proper  consistence  with  hot  water,  and  when  cool, 
spread  a  portion  on  cotton  cloth,  and  bind  it  on  the  parts. 
Should  the  horse  be  "  humory,"  or  even  in  "  good  condition,"  — 
fat,  —  a  mild  cathartic  will  be  indicated,  consisting  of 

Powdered  aloes,  ..'....    4  drachms, 

"  gentian, 2  drachms, 

"         ginger, 1  drachm. 

Mix  the  above  (if  a  ball  is  required)  with  honey ;  or,  if  it  be 
more  convenient  to  administer  a  drench,  dissolve  the  mass  in  one 
pint  of  warm  water,  and  sweeten  with  molasses. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  horse  shall  be  in  poor  condition,  the 
medicine  can  be  dispensed  with,  and  a  generous  diet  allowed, 
together  with  a  meal  of  grass  occasionally,  if  the  season  permits. 
If  the  patient  does  not  improve  in  condition,  we  may  infer  that 
the  disease  will  not  mend  until  the  health  is  restored ;  and  in 
view  of  accomplishing  that  object,  we  recommend 

Powdered  gentian,     ") 

"  sassafras,    [ 

"         sulphur,      >  .    .    1£  ounce  each, 

"  ginger,  j 
Fine  salt,  ...  J 
Oatmeal, 1  pound. 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  297 

Mix ;  divide  into  twelve  parts,  and  give  one,  in  the  food,  night 
and  morning.  In  either  case,  it  will  not  be  good  policy  to  continue 
the  poultices  for  any  length  of  time  ;  for,  knowing  as  we  do,  from 
actual  experience,  that  warmth  and  moisture  combined,  in  the 
form  of  a  poultice,  are  relaxing,  and  therefore  enervating,  and 
that  grease,  in  its  early  stage,  is  merely  augmented  issue,  the 
poultice  might  have  the  effect,  if  repeated,  of  inviting  fluids  to 
the  parts.  Still  the  ingredients  might  be  so  combined  as  to  pos- 
sess astringent  properties.     The  following  is  an  example  :  — 

Slippery  elm,  or  flaxseed,     .     .    ad  libitum, 
Powdered  bayberry  bark,  )  ,        . 

charcoal,  $  '     '     e<*uai  Parts* 

Mix.  Perhaps,  with  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of  salt 
and  bloodroot,  this  poultice  would  form  the  most  proper  one  in 
the  advanced  stage  of  the  disease ;  for  we  are  taught  that  astrin- 
gents have  a  tendency  to  suppress  the  secretion,  and  the  discharge, 
sooner  or  later,  becomes  arrested.  After  poulticing  the  parts,  as 
the  nature  of  the  case  seems  to  demand,  we  then  endeavor  to  aid 
nature  in  her  efforts  at  restoration,  both  by  local  and  general 
means.  If,  for  example,  the  heels  crack,  become  dry,  hard,  and 
contracted,  the  surface  should  be  smeared  over  with 

Linseed  oil,  ^ 

Powdered  charcoal,    £•     .     .     .     equal  parts. 
"         sulphur,     } 

Mix  the  charcoal  and  sulphur  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  oil 
to  make  it  of  the  consistence  of  cream,  and  apply  it  to  the  parts, 
with  a  brush,  night  and  morning. 

The  general  means  imply  a  restoration  of  all  the  secretions  and 
excretions,  by  the  use  of  alteratives.  The  following  is  a  good 
example :  — 

Powdered  sulphur,     "} 

11         bloodroot, 

"         sassafras,    >    .     .     .     equal  parts. 
Cream  of  tartar, 
Skunk  cabbage,  J 

Dose,  half  an  ounce,  night  and  morning,  mixed  with  the  food. 

There  is  one  remedy  which  the  writer  has  found  well  adapted 
to  almost  every  case  of  grease,  or  scratches ;  and  it  is  highly 
recommended  by  Professor  Morton,  of  the  Royal  Veterinary 
College.     It  consists  of 


298  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Pyroligncous  acid,  ~} 

Linseed  oil,  £   .     of  each  equal  parts. 

Turpentine,  ) 

Mix ;  let  the  heels  first  be  washed  with  lukewarm  water  and 
castile  soap  ;  after  wiping  them  dry,  apply  the  mixture.  Re- 
peat night  and  morning. 

In  order  to  keep  down  morbid  granulations  —  denominated  by 
some  "  proud  flesh  "  —  the  parts  may  bo  sprinkled  daily  with 
one  of  the  following  articles  :  — 

Powdered  bloodroot, 
"         burnt  alum, 
"         bayberry  bark. 

Put  on  a  good  coating  of  one  of  the  above  articles ;  cover  the 
sore  with  dry  lint,  and  apply  a  bandage  over  all.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  bandages  should  always  be  dispensed  with,  if 
possible ;  for  they  invariably  irritate  and  inflame  whatever  parts 
they  are  applied  to.  This  is  owing  to  the  high  state  of  sensi* 
bility  in  the  skin  of  the  horse. 

HARDENING   OF  THE   SKIN.  —  {Induration.*) 

Hardening  of  the  skin  generally  takes  place  in  consequence 
of  pressure  from  some  portion  of  the  harness  ;  it  often  occurs, 
however,  from  laceration  of  the  integuments  and  sub-cellular  tis- 
sue ;  by  the  calkings  of  the  animal's  shoes  }  and  we  sometimes 
find  that  it  is  the  result  of  fungus,  or  morbid  growths,  after  they 
have  been  removed  by  caustics.  An  excellent  application  for 
these  indurations  is,  the  acetate  of  cantharides,  prepared  thus:  — 

*  Induration  is  an  abnormal  increase  in  the  consistence  of  an  organ  or  part, 
and  may  exist  under  various  circumstances.  It  may  be  owing  merely  to  a  de- 
ficiency of  blood  in  a  part,  in  consequence  of  which  its  denser  particles  are 
more  closely  aggregated,  and  therefore  offer  an  increased  resistance.  There 
are  various  parts  of  the  animal  structure  which  are  often  the  seat  of  indura- 
tion. The  lungs,  for  example,  in  consequence  of  previous  inflammatory  action, 
become  hepatized :  this  is  identical  with  induration,  and  is  owing  to  the  deposit 
and  coagulation  of  that  portion  of  the  blood  known  as  fibrin.  The  liver  now 
and  then  becomes  the  scat  of  a  fibrinous  deposit ;  the  organ  first  enlarges, 
but  afterwards  gradually  contracts  and  hardens  :  as  it  is  reduced  in  size,  it  be- 
comes hard  and  tough  ;  here  we  have  schirrus  of  the  liver  —  induration.  Other 
varieties  of  interstitial  deposit  are  known  to  the  profession ;  and  the  reader,  if 
disposed,  can  also  learn  what  is  known  of  this  branch  of  pathology  from  stan- 
dard works. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  299 

Acetic  acid, 1  ounce, 

Water,   .     .     .    J 5  ounces, 

Pulverized  cantharides,    ....     1  ounce. 

Mix  ;  let  it  macerate  for  fourteen  days  ;  then  filter  through 
linen  or  blotting  paper,  and  add  one  ounce  of  spirits  of  wine  :  it 
is  then  fit  for  use.  To  be  applied  occasionally,  by  means  of  a 
small  piece  of v  sponge. 

A  preparation  which  answers  the  same  purpose  is  composed 
of  equal  parts  of  oil  of  turpentine  and  olive  oil,  to  be  applied 
as  above. 


MALANDERS  AND  SALANDEHS. 

The  above  terms  are  usually  applied  to  scurfy  eruptions,  ac- 
companied with  oozing  crusts  and  cracks  in  the  skin,  situated 
either  in  front  of  the  hock  or  at  the  posterior  part  of  the  knee 
joint.  They  probably  produce  some  sort  of  an  itching  sensation  ; 
occasional  pain,  and  even  lameness,  have  been  known  to  arise  from 
them. 

The  disease  is  said  to  arise  from  long  travelling  on  bad  roads, 
want  of  cleanliness,  &c. ;  but  probably  it  originates  from  that 
peculiar  state  of  the  system  which  favors  the  production  of  cuta- 
neous diseases.*     The  disease  does  not  prevail  to  any  great 

*  In  the  treatment  of  cutaneous  affections  the  reader  must  always  bear  in 
mind  the  fact,  that  a  local  disease  seldom,  if  ever,  exists  long  ere  the  constitu- 
tion suffers  ;  and  that  almost  every  case  of  an  eruptive  nature  is  either  symp- 
tomatic or  sympathetic.  But  lest  we  may  be  charged  with  uttering  sentiments 
exclusively  our  own,  we  quote  from  an  article  on  Diseases  of  the  Skin,  by  T. 
Hunt,  Esq.,  F.  It.  C.  S.  His  extensive  practice  in  the  Western  Dispensary 
for  diseases  of  the  skin  entitle  his  opinions  to  the  highest  confidence. 

um  *  *  A  local  disease  can  so  seldom  exist^;er  se,  independently  of  some 
lesion  of  the  general  system,  that  to  argue  in  favor  of  the  constitutional  origin 
or  nature  of  any  particular  local  affection,  may  seem  superfluous.  If  a  child 
falls  into  a  tub  of  hot  water,  the  whole  surface  of  the  body  is  blistered  —  it  is 
a  local  affection ;  but  how  soon  do  the  symptoms  show  that  it  is  one  in  which 
the  whole  system  participates  ?  A  carbuncle,  an  eruption  of  small-pox,  scarla- 
tina, or  measles,  and  an  attack  of  erysipelas  or  vesicular  fever,  are  all  so  many 
illustrations  of  the  fully  admitted  truth,  that  a  severe  affection  of  the  skin, 
v.hether  caused  by  accident  or  otherwise,  involves  the  constitution  in  the  gen- 
eral disturbance.  In  the  milder  forms  of  skin  diseases  the  general  lesion  may 
be  less  obvious  ;  but  from  analogy  we  are  bound  to  conclude  that  it  exists.  If 
a  person  be  inoculated  for  small-pox,  and  but  one  pustule  appears,  that  pus- 
tule is  preceded  and  accompanied  by  some  degree  of  fever.     Nor  is  it  possible 


300  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

extent  in  the  United  States.  The  author  has  seen  two  cases, 
occurring  in  subjects  of  the  scrofulous  diathesis,  which  has  led 
him  to  suppose  that  the  disease  is  of  a  scrofulous  character :  at 
any  rate,  it  sometimes  depends  on  internal  causes  ;  and  therefore, 
in  addition  to  the  local  remedies,  some  sort  of  medicine  of  an 
alterative  character  must  be  given.     See  Alteratives. 

The  term  malanders  is  applied  to  the  disease  when  the  fore 
legs  are  affected,  and  salanders  when  it  is  located  in  the  hind 
ones.  As  both  are  supposed  to  proceed  from  the  same  cause, 
the  local  treatment  consists  in  washing  the  parts  twice  a  day 
with  an  alkaline  wash  —  lime  water  —  or  saleratus  ;  and  after 
the  part  or  parts  are  wiped  dry,  the  following  application  must 
be  used :  — 

IpTrS^Lpentine,    (    •    ■     •    of  each  equal  parts. 

POULTRY   LOUSINESS  IN  HORSES. 

Poultry  lousiness,  one  of  the  evils  of  domestication,  has  prob- 
ably never  occupied  much  of  the  attention  of  horse  owners  in  this 
country ;  yet  it  is  important  that  such  should  be  made  acquainted 
with  the  facts  in  relation  to  it,  because  a  knowledge  of  them  may 
explain  the  origin  of  many  cutaneous  diseases  —  attended  with 
loss  of  hair  —  that  seem  to  have  a  spontaneous  origin,  and  at  the 
same  time  resist  the  ordinary  treatment.     It  is  very  necessary 

for  a  pimple  to  be  thrown  out  spontaneously  on  the  surface  of  the  body  without 
some  previous  lesion,  however  slight,  either  of  the  solids  or  the  circulating 
fluids  of  the  system ;  else  we  should  have  an  effect  without  a  cause.  In  like 
manner,  every  cutaneous  disease,  wbethcr  arising  spontaneously,  like  lepra  or 
herpes,  or  whether  resulting  from  contagion,  as  scabies  or  porrigo,  either 
originally  or  ultimately  involves  the  constitution,  more  or  less  obviously,  in  the 
changes  which  are  taking  place  in  the  capillary  system.  As  the  brain  takes 
cognizance  of  every  disturbance  in  the  extremities  of  the  nerves,  so  the  heart 
receives  and  reflects  an  impression  when  the  minute  vessels,  however  distant 
from  the  centre  of  circulation,  become  congested  or  inflamed.  In  fact,  a  sym- 
pathy exists  throughout  both  systems,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  frame ;  so  that 
every  part  of  the  body  suffers  with  every  member,  and  each  member  with  the 
whole  body  —  the  local  disease,  when  communicated  from  without,  becoming 
the  cause  of  the  constitutional  disturbance,  and  vice  versa ;  the  general 
cachexy,  when  it  exists  primarily,  becoming,  in  its  turn,  the  cause  of  the  local 
affection." 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  301 

also  that  fowl  breeders  (who,  in  a  great  majority  of  cases,  are 
horse  owners)  should  know  that  there  is  such  an  evil  in  exist- 
ence ;  having,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  a  well-defined  cause  oper- 
ating, not  beyond  their  comprehension,  but  which,  in  such  case, 
is  invariably  present,  and  cognizant  to  the  perceptive  faculties  of 
every  thinking  man. 

In  the  treatment  of  disease,  our  first  business  is  to  discover,  as 
near  as  circumstances  permit,  its  cause,  and  then,  if  possible,  to 
remove  it.  In  such  a  case  as  this,  we  might  treat  the  cutaneous 
affection,  but  with  little  credit  to  ourselves  or  profit  to  our  em- 
ployer, unless  the  cause  be  removed.  A  writer  in  the  Rural 
New  Yorker  thus  alludes  to  the  matter :  — 

"  During  the  early  season  of  my  keeping  fowls,  I  had  their 
roosting-place  adjoining  the  stall  where  I  kept  my  horse,  with  a 
partition  between.  I  think  it  was  the  second  year  after  I  kept 
my  hens  in  this  manner,  that  I  discovered  there  was  something 
the  matter  with  my  horse.  He  showed  a  disposition  to  rub  and 
bite  himself;  but  for  a  long  time  I  paid  little  regard  to  it,  think- 
ing he  would  soon  be  over  it;  but  it  seemed  to  increase  upon  him 
I  could  fit  up  no  stall  nor  partition  of  sufficient  strength  to  resist 
his  efforts.  I  could  leave  him  nowhere  unhitched;  and  if  1 
hitched  him,  he  would  soon  break  loose,  and  get  to  some  place 
where  he  could  rub.  For  six  months  or  more,  he  continued  in 
this  manner,  before  I  ascertained  what  ailed  him.  I  tried  various 
remedies  for  humors  in  the  blood,  bled  him  copiously,  drenched 
him  with  physic  till  he  could  hardly  stand ;  and  all  to  no  effect. 
He  was  a  large  and  valuable  horse  commonly,  but  at  this  stage 
of  matters  he  was  truly  a  sight  to  behold.  He  was  minus  his 
mane,  and  was  in  nearly  the  same  condition  with  his  tail ;  his 
sides  lacerated  and  naked,  in  consequence  of  his  continual  rubbing 
and  biting.  At  last  the  thought  struck  me  that  the  animal  might 
be  lousy ;  and,  on  close  examination,  I  found  he  was  literally 
covered  with  small  hen  lice ;  and  they  adhered  so  closely  to  the 
skin,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  comb  out  one  with  a  fine 
comb.  I  now  changed  my  course  of  doctoring,  and  by  dint  of 
perseverance,  through  the  application  of  various  remedies  for  the 
destruction  of  lice,  in  the  course  of  six  or  eight  weeks  I  succeeded 
in  effecting  a  perfect  cure. 
26 


302  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"The  first  thing  I  did  after  this  was  to  remove  ray  hen  roost, 
and  scald  and  whitewash  the  stable.  I  have  not  been  troubled 
with  hen  lice  getting  on  my  horse  since.  I  have  heard  of  similar 
cases,  where  horses  have  been  afflicted  in  the  same  way ;  hence 
I  consider  it  safest  not  to  build  a  hen  house  behind  the  stable." 

This  affection  has  become  so  common  of  late  among  horses  in 
the  United  States,  and  as  the  majority  of  their  owners  are  almost 
in  the  dark  regarding  it,  we  here  introduce  to  the  reader  an  inter- 
esting article  from  the  pen  of  Mons.  II.  Bouley,  translated  from 
the  French,  by  Mr.  Percivall :  — 

"Amongst  these  there  is  one,  interesting  alike  as  regards  its 
cause,  its  mode  of  manifestation,  and  its  treatment,  which  has  been 
confounded  with  general  itch  or  mange ;  to  which,  indeed,  it  bears 
some  resemblance,  in  consisting,  as  it  does,  of  the  existence  of  a 
parasitic  animal,  and  which  must  be  destroyed  ere  the  disease 
will  disappear.  To  this  variety  of  p h thyriasis*  M.  Bouley  has 
given  the  name  of  the  Poultry  Lousiness,  (phthyriasis  des  oiseaux,) 
on  account  of  the  unique  cause  giving  origin  to  it,  as  well  as  by 
way  of  distinguishing  it  from  the  pedicular  t  disease  peculiar  to 
horses. 

"  Its  commencement  is  instantaneous.  All  at  once  the  horse  is 
seized  with  a  violent,  continued  general  itching.  So  sudden  and 
irresistible  is  the  desire  the  animal  possesses  to  scratch  himself, 
that  he  is  not  easy  for  a  single  moment.  He  rubs  his  skin 
against  every  resisting  body  near  him,  stamps  the  ground  con- 
tinually, strikes  his  belly,  bites  every  place  he  can  reach  with  his 
mouth;  manifesting,  by  his  continual  movements,  the  burning 
itching  by  which  he  is  devoured.  At  night  his  torments  increase; 
so  much  so,  that  should  the  animal  be  abandoned  to  himself,  he 
rubs  and  bites  himself  to  that  degree,  that  he  tears  his  skin,  and 
carries  portions  away  in  his  mouth,  denuding  himself  extensively 
of  his  scarf  skin  ;  nor  does  he  relax  until  smarting  pains  succeed 
the  insupportable  torments  of  the  itching. 

"  At  the  time  these  symptoms  of  prurience  }  are  making  their 
appearance,  the  skin  is  the  seat  of  an  eruption  of  very  small  vesi- 
cles^   some  solitary  —  others,  in  greater  number,  congregate, 

*  Lousiness.  J  Itching. 

t  From  pedicidus,  a  louse.  §  Small  eruptions  containing  fluid. 


TIIF.    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  303 

occupying  more  or  less  extent  of  surface.  These  vesicles  contain, 
at  the  period  of  their  maturity,  scarcely  serosity  enough  to  raise 
the  epidermis*  which  becomes  detached,  dragging  the  hairs  with 
it  that  run  across,  leaving  behind  it  a  small  bare  surface,  perfectly 
circular,  of  the  diameter  of  a  lentil,  or  the  smallest  silver  coin. 
This  bare  part  becomes  covered  with  a  crust  of  dried  serosity, 
which  soon  exfoliates,!  and  is  replaced  by  a  new  epidermis,  per- 
fectly smooth. 

"This  primary  stage  of  the  disease  is  difficult  to  meet  with, 
because,  ordinarily,  horses  are  not  submitted  to  examination 
before  depilation  has  commenced — the  sequel  of  the  desiccation  % 
of  the  vesicles. 

"  At  the  second  stage  of  the  poultry  lousiness,  the  most  pathog- 
nomonic §  lesion  is  the  depilation  ||  consecutive  on  the  vesicular 
eruption ;  and  this  is  so  characteristic,  that,  once  the  disease 
observed  in  its  true  form,  and  traced  to  its  cause,  a  simple  coup 
d'ceil%  is  all  that  is  necessary  to  recognize  and  distinguish  it  from 
all  other  cutaneous  affections. 

"  The  depilation  is  of  that  remarkable  character  that  it  reflects 
exactly,  in  the  general  impression  it  makes  upon  the  skin,  the 
form  of  the  vesicular  eruption,  solitary  or  confluent,  of  which  it  is 
the  latest  vestige.  In  fact,  the  surface  is  marked  by  regular  cir- 
cular patches,  of  the  diameter  of  a  lentil,  giving  it  the  aspect  of 
tiger  spots.  In  places  where  the  eruption  has  been  the  most  con- 
fluent, the  depilation  spreads  between  the  vesicles,  and  so  extends 
over  a  considerable  patch  of  surface;  but,  even  in  these  places, 
the  circular  disposition  of  the  denuded  patches,  the  primary 
expression  of  the  original  vesicular  eruption,  is  still  maintained 
in  the  smooth  condition  of  the  epidermis. 

"  This  depilation  spreads,  like  the  vesicular  eruption  of  which 
it  is  the  consequence,  with  very  great  rapidity.  In  two  or  three 
days,  the  horse,  with  the  most  shining  coat,  may  have  it  spotted 
over  with  circular  patches  bare  of  hair,  and  in  the  course  of  a 


*  The  outer  or  scarf  skin. 

f  Separates  from  the  living  skin.  +  Drying  up. 

§  A  term  given  to  the  symptoms  which  mark  the  disease.    Lesion  means 
injury. 

II  Loss  of  hair.  IT  Glance, 


304  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

week  will  the  hair  and  epidermis  be  destroyed  over  a  large  extent, 
corresponding  to  the  parts  where  the  eruption  has  been  the  most 
confluent.  Such  is  the  rapidity  of  the  depilation  that  we  are  but 
too  apt  to  date  the  disease  back  to  a  long  period,  when  it  is,  in 
truth,  but  of  a  few  days'  duration. 

"  It  is  only  at  this  stage  of  the  phthyriasis  that  horses  ordinarily 
come  under  observation ;  and  therefore  does  it  become  difficult  at 
such  a  time  to  assign  to  the  disease  any  specific  character ;  the 
vesicular  kind  of  eruption  serving  to  distinguish  and  classify  it 
having  left  no  trace  upon  the  skin,  save  circulatory  depilation. 
Sometimes,  at  this  stage  of  the  disease,  sorts  of  solid  papula?* 
form  within  the  substance  of  the  skin,  which  become  crowned  with 
secondary  vesicles,  whose  progress  is  identical  with  that  of  those 
we  have  already  pointed  out,  disappearing  after  the  formation 
and  detachment  of  the  crust  succeeding  the  secretion. 

"  During  the  whole  of  this  stage,  as  at  the  first  breaking  out  of 
the  disease,  the  patients  are  tormented  with  continual  burning 
itching,  causing  them  to  rub  themselves  incessantly  and  without 
relaxation ;  so  that  we  observe  upon  the  skin,  in  those  places  the 
most  rubbed,  lesions,  which  we  may  call  traumatic,^  consequent 
on  the  violent  action  occasioned  by  the  bodies  against  which  the 
animal  rubs  himself.  Those  epidermic  excoriations  %  appear  either 
in  series  of  lines  or  in  broad  patches,  or  in  places  irregularly  cir- 
cumscribed, according  to  the  regions  in  which  they  are  found, 
and  the  nature  of  the  bodies  against  which  the  friction  has  taken 
place.  They  are  principally  remarkable  upon  the  lateral  §  parts 
of  the  head  and  neck,  upon  the  back  and  croup,  upon  the  sides 
and  flanks,  and  upon  the  internal  parts  of  the  limbs.  They  look 
either  very  angry  or  bloody,  when  observed  immediately  after 
the  rubbing,  or  they  are  covered  with  red  incrustations  more  or 
less  adherent,  according  to  the  length  of  time  they  have  existed ; 
or  else  they  appear  in  a  state  of  granulation  ||  and  suppuration, 
whenever  the  skin  has  become  sufficiently  deeply  injured.  But 
these  superficial  lesions  of  the  skin  do  not  by  right  belong  more 
properly   to    poultry  lousiness   than   to   any  other    pruriginous 

*  Elevations.  §  Side. 

f  Like  wounds.  ||  Grain-like,  fleshy  bodies 

J  Abrasions  of  the  skin. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  305 

disease  ;  and  so  far  from  being  considered  as  one  of  their  pecu- 
liar features,  we  ought  to  look  upon  them  as  simulating  those 
affections  to  which  they  in  truth  belong,  and  which  they  stand  in 
the  place  of. 

"  This  disease  in  no  way  interferes  wTith  the  integrity  of  the 
general  functions.  Apart  from  the  violent  excitement  the  ani- 
mal may  experience,  and  the  consecutive  irregularity  of  his 
respiration  and  circulation  it  may  occasion,  he  presents  all  the 
aspect  of  the  most  perfect  health.  "When,  however,  the  disease 
becomes  of  long  duration,  the  subject  of  it  will  be  apt  to  fall  off 
his  appetite,  to  grow  thin,  and  to  lose  his  condition  for  work 
from  the  gradual  wasting  of  his  powers.  Indeed,  there  occur 
cases  in  which  this  privation  of  rest  (from  continual  excitement) 
brings  on  complete  marasm,*  and  such  inability  for  work,  that  the 
proprietor  feels  himself  compelled  to  get  rid  of  his  horse  at  any 
price. 

"  Such  is  the  nature  of  this  singular  affection,  whose  most 
striking  characters  are,  the  suddenness  of  its  appearance  and  the 
rapidity  with  which  it  spreads  over  the  entire  surface  of  the 
skin,  leaving  every  where  uniform  marks,  vestiges  of  its  presence, 
viz.,  depilation  in  circular  patches  of  the  skin,  and  a  terrible 
sense  of  itchiness,  without  intermission  and  with  evening  ex- 
acerbation." f 

In  order  to  destroy  the  vermin,  and  at  the  same  time  to  cure 
the  cutaneous  eruptions,  and  restore  the  hair,  take 

Linseed  oil, 1  ounce, 

Pyroligneous  acid, 4  ounces, 

Spirits  of  turpentine, 1  ounce. 

Two  or  three  daily  applications  of  this  compound  will  generally 
suffice.  The  parts  to  which  the  application  has  been  made  must 
be  washed  with  soap  and  water.  The  vermin  can  also  be  de- 
stroyed by  sponging  the  body  with  an  infusion  of  lobelia. 

RAT'S  TAIL. 

Rat's  tail  is  a  name  given  to  a  narrow  streak  of  denuded  hair 
which  occasionally  appears  on  the  upper  part  of  a  horse's  tail. 

*  Emaciation.  f  Increase  in  violence  of  symptoms. 

26* 


306  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

It  generally  arises  from  a  sort  of  exanthema,  or  cutaneous  erup- 
tion, causing  -an  intolerable  itching;  the  horse  is  constantly  rub- 
bing the  part  against  the  side  of  his  stall,  and  thus  the  pilous 
covering  is  worn  off.     The  remedy  is 

Spirits  of  turpentine,^ 

Pyroligneous  acid,      *>      .     .     .     .     equal  parts. 

Linseed  oil,  ) 

Wash  the  parts  daily,  and  dress  with  the  above. 

HIDE  BOUND. 

This  term  is  generally  applied  to  horses  whose  coats  are 
" staring"  the  skin  tight  on  the  ribs,  and  otherwise  out  of  con- 
dition. The  appearance  generally  denotes  derangement  of  the 
digestive  organs,  and  therefore  can  only  be  considered  as  a 
symptom  of  disease.  At  times  the  skin  appears  very  scurfy, 
and  the  exhalants  of  the  external  surface  seem  to  pour  out  an 
unusual  quantity  of  morbid  matter,  the  more  volatile  parts  of 
which  evaporate,  precipitating  on  the  surface  the  more  solid  par- 
ticles in  the  form  of  thin  scales.  It  gives  the  horse  a  very 
filthy  appearance,  and  requires  some  care  in  grooming  in  order 
to  make  the  animal  appear  any  thing  like  decent. 

"  The  condition  of  the  skin  and  hair,"  says  Mr.  Spooner,  "  will 
afford  a  true  indication  of  the  state  of  the  health  in  a  general 
way.  '  The  horse  is  unhealthy  in  his  coat,'  is  a  very  common  ex- 
pression, and  this  sign  should  never  be  neglected.  The  hair  of 
a  healthy  horse  is  smooth  and  sleek,  and  the  skin  soft  and  ex- 
pansive. This  is  indicated  by  the  touch,  as  in  cattle.  When 
the  system  is  deranged,  the  skin  loses  its  pliancy,  its  surface  be- 
comes hard  and  dry,  and  the  hair,  to  use  another  common  ex- 
pression, *  stares  on. end/  and  is  rough  and  rusty.  These  symp- 
toms accompany  almost  every  constitutional  disease,  especially 
disorder  of  the  digestive  organs.  The  sympathy  existing  be- 
tween the  skin  and  alimentary  canal  is  very  considerable,  and  it 
follows,  in  almost  every  case,  that  when  either  of  these  become 
affected,  the  other  takes  on  sympathetic  derangement." 

Some  writers  on  farriery  would  have  us  believe  that  "  hide 
bound  results  from  worms  ; "  and  they  recommend  strong  and 


THE    MODERN    HOR§E    DOCTOR.  307 

dangerous  medicine.  That  worms  should  be  found  in  such 
horses  we  are  not  surprised  ;  but  to  set  them  down  as  the  cause 
is  absurd ;  for  their  presence  in  the  digestive  canal  is  merely 
owing  to  perverted  nutrition,  and  they  may  be  found  in  many 
horses  whose  coats  are  as  smooth  as  glass.  The  cure  of  hide 
bound,  then,  consists  in  restoring  to  healthy  action  whatever 
organs  are  diseased.  The  general  health  must  be  improved  ere 
the  coat  will  assume  its  natural  sleek  appearance  and  soft,  pliant 
feel.  If  no  particular  disease  can  be  detected  about  the  animal, 
let  some  change  be  made  in  the  diet,  his  body  be  warmly  clothed, 
and  mix  the  following  alterative  in  his  food  night  and  morning :  — 

Powdered  sassafras  bark,  ^  ^ 

"         sulphur,  £of  each,  3  ounces,        > 

"         salt,  )  ) 

"         bloodroot,  }  e       ■.     n 

«         balmony/j  -    of  each,  2  ounces, 

Oatmeal, 1  pound. 

Mix ;  and  divide  into  twelve  parts. 

Treatment  of  cutaneous  Affections,  —  Any  system  of  medicine 
that  contemplates  the  cure  of  cutaneous  diseases  must  include 
change  in  diet,  or  it  is  almost  inert.  On  this  subject  Surgeon 
Hunt  has  written  as  follows :  — 

"  Man  is  an  omnivorous  animal.  This  circumstance  is  both 
an  advantage  and  a  disadvantage.  It  enables  him  to  sustain  life 
for  a  short  time  on  almost  any  kind  of  aliment,  animal  or  vege- 
table; but  it  likewise  induces  a  necessity  of  a  considerable  varie- 
ty of  diet,  or  frequent  change,  in  order  that  he  may  retain  health 
and  strength  for  a  long  time  together.  Chemistry  has  not  yet 
detected  the  reason  of  this  necessity ;  and  as  the  proximate  ele- 
ments of  animal  structure  are  found  in  bread  and  water,  as  well 
as  in  milk  and  various  other  articles,  it  does  not  appear  that 
change  should  be  necessary  at  all.  But  it  is  known  to  all  gra- 
ziers and  feeders  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  other  animals,  that  change 
is  necessary  and  salutary  for  them ;  and  much  more  is  it  for 
man.  Patients  recover  under  homoeopathic  treatment,  because 
a  rigorous  system  of  diet  is  imperatively  prescribed.  The  sys- 
tem is  not  founded  on  any  science  or  principles  which  will  bear 
a  moment's  examination.  The  things  to  be  avoided  are  per- 
fectly harmless  and  wholesome,  but  in  the  very  absurdity  and 
strangeness  of  the  diet  prescribed  consists  its  value.     It  is  a 


308  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

great  change.  The  digestive  organs  have  to  pick  their  aliment 
out  of  a  new  arrangement  of  the  elements  which  support  animal 
life,  and  this  new  work  is  refreshing.  There  is  more  or  possibly 
less  defecation  required  than  before  ;  there  is  more  or  it  may  be 
less  work  given  to  the  kidneys  than  before.  Torpid  organs  are 
aroused,  wearied  organs  find  repose,  blood  is  supplied  with  less 
nervous  exhaustion,  and  the  brain  participates  in  the  relief  and 
vigor  of  the  whole  system.  Under  these  circumstances  local 
disease  often  finds  a  spontaneous  remedy  either  in  the  improved 
condition  of  the  circulating  fluids  or  in  the  circulation  itself,  and 
the  whole  mystery  of  this  dietetic  cure  is  nothing  but  the  relief 
of  change — just  such  a  relief  as  is  afforded  by  change  of  air, 
change  of  habits,  change  of  country,  or  of  pursuits.  The  want 
of  change  in  diet  is  obviously  a  frequent  cause  of  disease  in  the 
skin,  where  it  occurs  in  large  boarding  schools,  where  the  diet  is 
too  simple,  plain,  restricted,  and  unvarying,  to  maintain  the  sys- 
tem in  vigorous  health  for  a  long  time  together.  Accordingly  a 
change  of  diet — the  more  sudden  and  violent  the  better —  will  gen- 
erally remove  the  most  of  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  recovery ; 
and  if  to  this  be  added  change  of  air  and  change  of  habits,  the 
muscles  of  the  lower  extremities  being  duly  called  into  exercise 
as  well  as  of  the  upper,  the  mysteries  of  the  case  are  explained, 
the  inveteracy  of  the  disease  is  destroyed,  and  it  yields  to  ordi- 
nary treatment,  or  even  to  the  spontaneous  efforts  of  the  system 
without  any  medical  treatment  whatever." 

FALLING   OFF   OF  THE  HAIR.  —  {Alopecia.) 

There  are  various  forms  of  eruptive  diseases  which  induce  a 
falling  off  of  the  hair ;  and  these  external  eruptions  which  ap- 
pear on  the  skin  are  not  always  the  disease,  the  real  enemy  to 
be  overcome,  but  are  oftentimes  the  manifestations  —  products 
or  symptoms  —  of  some  internal  affection.  So  soon  as  the  erup- 
tive disease  extends  to  the  hair  bulbs,  a  sort  of  morbid  action 
commences  within  them,  which  loosens  the  hair,  and  it  falls  off. 

At  times  we  find  small  vesicles  which  are  elevated  above  the 
skin,  often  in  very  considerable  numbers  ;  they  pour  out  on  the 
skin  a  fluid,  which,  by  the  process  of  evaporation,  forms  crusts  ; 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  309 

these  crusts  are  sometimes  converted  into  minute  ulcers,  which 
deepen,  until  they  destroy  the  roots  of  the  hair.  They  generally 
produce  intolerable  itching,  which  obliges  the  animal  constantly 
to  rub  himself,  and  thus  destroy  the  hair.  The  eruption  some- 
times occupies  a  single  spot,  which  soon  extends  so  as  to  cover  a 
large  space ;  sometimes  it  appears  on  the  tail,  at  others  on  the 
neck  and  on  the  flanks,  whence  it  gradually  extends.  This  form 
of  eruption  is  called  humid  exanthema.  There  is  another  form, 
known  as  dry  exanthema,  which  appears  in  the  form  of  small 
pimples  :  they  soon  scale  off,  and  the  place  they  occupied  is  cov- 
ered with  a  farinaceous  powder.  The  animal  seems  to  suffer 
the  most  excruciating  torment,  and  is  constantly  rubbing  himself. 
The  best  local  remedy  for  either  case  is, — 

Pulverized  charcoal, 1  ounce, 

Olive  oil, 1  pint, 

Pyroligneous  acid, 5  ounces, 

Common  salt, 1  ounce. 

Mix,  and  lubricate  the  parts  daily  with  a  sponge. 

The  internal  treatment  should  always  commence  with  small 
doses  of  sulphur,  sassafras,  and  bayberry  bark,  given  occasionally 
in  the  food.  For  further  information,  the  reader  is  referred  to 
article  Poultry  Lousiness. 


KING  WORM. 

Ringworm  presents  itself  in  the  horse  in  the  form  of  circular, 
and  sometimes  irregular,  patches  denuded  of  hair,  having  on 
their  surfaces  a  morbid  secretion,  and  incrustations  of  the  same. 
It  generally  locates  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  and  occasionally  on 
other  parts.  We  have  never  seen  any  thing  on  the  subject  in 
American  books,  and  presume  there  are  but  few  who  ever  suspect 
their  horses  to  be  subject  to  ringworm.  In  fact,  the  author 
would  have  been  in  the  dark  regarding  it,  had  he  not  seen  an 
article  on  the  subject,  written  by  Mr.  Percivall,  who  was  the 
first  to  call  the  attention  of  English  veterinarians  to  it.  Since 
reading  Mr.  Percivall's  account  of  it,  we  have  come  into  pos- 
session of  Mr.  Haycock's  Veterinary  Homozopathy,  and  there 
find  a  case,  which,  for  the  benefit  of  the  reader,  we  here  in- 
troduce. 


310  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"  Case.  *  *  *  The  driver  informed  me  that  for  several 
days  past  he  had  observed  the  horse  to  rub  himself  a  good  deal 
against  the  sides  of  the  stall  —  a  practice  which  he  was  not  in 
the  habit  of  doing ;  and  that  he  had  also  observed  upon  various 
parts  of  the  skin  a  number  of  raw-looking  spots  of  a  round  form. 
The  horse  at  the  time  was  in  excellent  condition,  and  in  good 
health  in  every  other  respect. 

11  Present  State. —  1.  The  skin  of  the  animal  presents  a  few 
round  and  raw-looking  spots  completely  denuded  of  hair ;  they 
aie  present  on  both  sides  of  the  neck,  and  also  upon  the  skin  of 
the  left  cheek. 

"  2.  Upon  the  skin  on  both  sides  of  the  neck,  upon  the  superior 
part  of  both  shoulders,  upon  the  back,  in  the  region  of  the  lum- 
bar vertebras,  and  particularly  upon  the  hind  quarters,  are  a 
number  of  peculiar-looking  spots  or  patches,  each  of  about  the 
size  of  a  shilling. 

"  3.  The  appearance  which  these  patches  present  is  somewhat 
as  follows :  Some  of  them  are  round,  while  others  are  of  an 
irregular  form.  The  hair  in  connection  with  them  is  of  a  dirty 
gray  color,  and  it  appears  as  though  a  portion  of  fine  dust  had 
been  placed  upon  it,  and  then  a  gummy  fluid  had  dropped  amongst 
the  whole,  and,  being  allowed  to  dry,  had  become  incrusted. 

"  4.  If  the  fore  finger  is  placed  firmly  upon  any  one  of  these 
patches,  and  at  the  same  time  forced  forwards,  the  incrusted 
mass  slides,  as  it  were,  away  from  its  matrix,  and  a  raw  surface 
is  exposed  to  view,  which,  if  examined  with  a  common  magnify- 
ing lens,  a  number  of  pits,  or  cavities,  are  observed,  some  of 
which  are  filled  with  purulent  matter ;  while  running,  as  it  were, 
around  these  cavities,  is  a  red  continuous  line  of  variable  thick- 
ness. 

"  5.  The  incrustations  I  found  to  consist  of  the  hair  aggluti- 
nated together,  from  the  presence  of  a  gummy  substance  ex- 
creted from  the  diseased  part  beneath." 

Treatment.  —  Wash  the  parts  with  a  strong  infusion  of  bay- 
berry  bark,  wipe  dry,  and  then  smear  the  denuded  spots  with  a 
mixture  of 

Pyroiigneous  acid, 4  ounces, 

Turpentine, 1  ounce. 


TilK    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOH.  311 

The  washing  and  dressing  to  be  repeated  until  healthy  action  is 
established.     If  the  disease  does  not  readily  disappear,  give 

Sulphur,  ^ 

Cream  of  tartar,    >    .     .     .     .     equal  parts, 

Sassafras,  ) 

Dose,  six  drachms  daily.     If  the  disease  still  lingers,  sponge  the 
denuded  parts  with  tincture  of  muriate  of  iron. 

SWELLING   OF  THE  LEGS.  —  (Anasarca.) 

This  is  a  species  of  dropsy,  which  shows  itself  in  the  legs  of 
horses  ;  and  sometimes  the  tumefaction  extends  to  the  sheath, 
and  along  the  abdomen,  as  far  as  the  pectoral  muscles.  The 
swelling  generally  appears  towards  morning,  after  a  night's  rest, 
and  disappears  again  after  a  few  hours'  work. 

Ordinarily,  the  hind  limbs  are  the  most  prone  to  become  ana- 
sarcous ;  except  in  cases  of  effusion  into  the  whole  cellular  tis- 
sues of  all  the  limbs  —  such  as  we  observe  in  general  dropsy, 
or  when  the  subject  is  laboring  under  an  attack  of  influenza, 
"pink-eye,"  &c. 

Cullen  enumerates  five  species  of  anasarca,  viz. :  — 

1.  Anasarca  serosa  ;  as  when  the  due  discharge  of  the  serous 
or  watery  matter  of  the  blood  is  suppressed,  &c.  2.  Anasarca 
oppileta,  as  when  the  blood  vessels  are  considerably  pressed 
during  pregnancy,  &c.  3.  Anasarca  exanthemata  ;  this  happens 
after  ulcers,  and  various  eruptive  disorders.  4.  Anasarca  anos- 
mia happens  when  the  blood  is  extremely  poor,  from  considerable 
losses  of  it.  And,  5.  Anasarca  debilium  ;  as  when  feebleness  is 
induced  by  long  illness.  The  last  three  are  the  kinds  we  gener- 
ally have  to  contend  with  in  veterinary  practice. 

Anasarca  exanthemata  appears  simultaneously  with  farcy,  (or 
disease  of  the  superficial  absorbents,)  and  in  various  cutaneous 
eruptive  diseases.  A  swelling  sometimes  appears  in  the  lower 
parts  of  the  legs,  (which  feel  hot,)  and  occasions  to  the  animal 
a  sense  of  itching,  and  an  acute  pain,  whenever  the  part  receives 
pressure  ;  although  at  other  times  there  appears  little  or  no  pain. 
At  length  a  serous  fluid  discharges  itself  through  the  cutaneous 
vessels,  or  pores  of  the  skin,  corroding  the  skin,  and  finally  ends 
in  the  disease  termed  "  grease." 


312  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Anasarca  ancemia  happens  in  horses  that  are  bled  at  certain 
seasons  of  the  year,  under  the  foolish  notion  of  improving  their 
condition ;  also  when  repeated  bleedings  have  been  practised  for 
the  cure  (!)  of  inflammatory  diseases.  In  such  cases,  there  exists 
a  morbid  habit  of  body,  and  the  serous  fluids  are  apt  to  migrate 
from  tissue  to  tissue,  so  long  as  this  common  morbid  habit  con- 
tinues ;  unless  the  fluid  accumulates  within  the  thorax,  the  ven- 
tricles of  the  brain,  or  abdomen ;  then  the  case  will  terminate 
fatally. 

As  the  oedema  swelling  (a  synonyme  of  anasarca,  generally 
used  to  express  this  kind  of  swelling)  is  confined  principally  to 
the  legs,  absorption  may  be  promoted  by  friction  and  bandages. 
At  the  same  time,  the  patient  must  be  put  on  a  course  of  medicine, 
with  a  view  of  restoring  the  general  health. 

The  following  compound,  if  accompanied  with  generous  feed, 
friction,  and  bandage,  will  be  found  efficient :  — 

Pulverized  assafoetida,      .     .    .    .  £  ounce, 

Cream  of  tartar, 1  ounce, 

Powdered  gentian, 2  ounces, 

Ginger  (African), 2  ounces. 

Rub  the  ingredients  together  in  a  mortar,  until  they  are  mixed ; 
then  add  four  ounces  of  finely  pulverized  poplar  bark,  (populus 
tremuloides,)  and  divide  the  mass  into  six  parts ;  one  to  be  given 
every  night  in  the  food. 

Anasarca  debilium,  which  often  accompanies  chronic  disease, 
must  be  overcome  by  invigorating  the  constitution  with  tonic 
medicines,  such  as  gentian,  goldenseal,  and  balmony  ;  and  if 
there  be  languid  circulation,  stimulants  may  be  proper.  In  this 
event,  we  resort  to  grains  of  paradise,  ginger,  and  capsicum. 
The  diet,  too,  must  be  nutritious.  Regular  exercise,  such  as  the 
patient  can  bear,  must  not  be  neglected.  The  proportions  of  the 
above  compound  are, 

Powdered  goldenseal,  ^ 

"        gentian,  £•     .     .     of  each  1  ounce, 

"        balmony,  ^snakehead,)  ) 
Flaxseed, £  pound. 

Mix ;  and  divide  the  mass  into  six  parts,  and  give  one,  night  and 
morning,  in  the  food. 

In  order  to  excite  the  absorbents,  so  as  to  remove  the  fluid 
effused  into  the  cellular  tissues,  it  is  sometimes  necessary  (besides 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  313 

resorting  to  friction)  to  use  the  following  liniment,  which  may  be 

rubbed  on  the  legs  every  night :  — 

Essence  of  cedar, 2  ounces, 

Tincture  of  capsicum,      ....     1  ounce, 
New  rum, 1  pint. 


Another 


Spirits  of  hartshorn, 2  ounces, 

Olive  oil, 8  ounces. 


Mix  together. 

The  stimulants  referred  to  may  be  given  in  the  following  pro- 
portions :  — 

Powdered  grains  of  paradise,     .     .  1  ounce, 

"         capsicum, «|  ounce, 

"         ginger, 1  ounce, 

"         slippery  elm,    .     .     .     .  \  pound. 

Mix ;  divide  the  mass  into  six  parts,  and  scatter  one  on  cut  feedf 
night  and  morning. 

It  may  be  well  to  observe,  however,  (for  fear  the  reader  should 
make  a  mistake,  and  consider  a  case  of  scarlatina,  scarlet  fever, 
as  one  of  anasarca)  that  simple  malignant  disease  of  this  type,  so 
well  known  to  our  race,  does  (though  somewhat  rarely)  attack 
the  horse ;  in  either  form  of  which  —  simple  or  malignant  — 
swelling  of  the  legs  more  or  less  prevails.  There  are  some  fea- 
ures  in  the  latter  malady  by  which  it  may  be  distinguished  from 
every  other  form  of  disease. 

Swelling  of  the  belly,  sheath,  and  breast  arise  from  effusion  of 
fluid  into  the  cellular  tissues  of  the  parts,  and  are  nothing  more 
nor  less  than  local  dropsy,  and  consequently  can  be  treated  in  the 
same  manner  as  anasarca. 

STINGS   OF  BEES. 

Many  cases  are  on  record  of  horses  dying  in  consequence  of 
an  attack  by  an  army  of  bees.  There  may,  possibly,  be  no  help 
for  such  cases ;  yet  we  cannot  witness  the  excruciating  torments 
under  which  the  poor  animal  labors,  without  striving  to  do  some 
thing  for  its  relief.  "When  the  stings  are  not  very  numerous,  im 
mediate  relief  may  be  obtained  by  lubricating  the  parts  with  n 
mixture  of 

LimlwaterJ equal  parte. 

27 


314  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

In  more  aggravated  cases,  the  whole  body  must  be  first  sponged 
•with  lime  water,  and  afterwards  smeared  with  linseed  oil.  The 
patient  must  be  drenched  with  eight  ounces  of  epsom  salts,  and 
be  kept  on  scalded  shorts.  If  lime  water  cannot  readily  be  pro- 
cured, a  weak  solution  of  saleratus  and  water  may  be  substituted. 

"We  have  found  the  above  preparation  (olive  oil  and  lime 
ivater)  a  most  valuable  external  application  for  allaying  the  irri- 
tation of  the  skin  after  a  horse  has  been  stung,  or  bitten,  by  some 
of  the  various  tribes  of  winged  insects.  The  relief  which  the 
application  gives  is  remarkable,  and  in  many  cases  it  acts  in- 
stantaneously. The  remedy  is  much  used  in  human  practice,  by 
the  most  distinguished  of  the  faculty,  in  severe  burns  and  scalds, 
and  it  never  fails  to  mitigate  the  pain  of  the  unfortunate  sufferer. 
More  prompt  is  it  to  act  on  the  horse ;  for  of  all  the  oleaginous 
compounds  known  to  the  profession,  not  one  is  so  readily  taken 
up,  or  absorbed,  as  linseed  oil :  you  may  give  a  dose  internally, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours  it  will  have  pervaded  the  whole 
cellular  structure  of  the  animal,  and  can  even  be  detected  on  the 
sclerotic  membranes  of  the  eye,  by  merely  applying  a  piece  of 
clean  linen,  which  on  removal  from  the  eye  will  have  both  the 
peculiar  odor  and  greasy  appearance  of  the  article.  Hence  an 
article  so  highly  diffusible  as  this  has  proved  to  be,  must  have 
advantages  over  many  others  used  in  the  same  view.  Among 
the  many  cases  recorded  of  horses  being  stung  by  bees,  we  select 
the  following,  translated  from  the  JRec.  de  Med.  Vet.,  by  the  editor 
of  the  Veterinarian.  The  case  occurred  in  the  practice  of  M.  E. 
Clichy,  V.  S.  "  Of  the  five  horses  attacked  by  the  bees,  one  was 
dead  on  M.  Clichy's  arrival ;  while  the  four  others,  which  had 
been  withdrawn  from  the  scene  of  the  accident  with  considerable 
difficulty,  after  having  cut  their  ropes,  were  in  an  extraordinary 
state  of  exasperation.  One  three-year-old  horse,  particularly, 
of  very  strong  constitution,  when  turned  into  a  loose  place,  became 
so  outrageous  that  approach  to  him  was  impossible.  Under  con- 
tinual agitation,  he  lay  down  and  rose  again  incessantly,  or  he 
threw  himself  against  the  walls  of  his  abode,  and  tore  his  flanks. 
He  was  deaf  to  the  voice  of  the  man  looking  after  him,  and  under 
extreme  excitability ;  while  the  eyelids  were  so  swollen  as  to 
completely  cover  his  eyes ;  his  respiration,  laborious  from  agita- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  315 

tion,  was  rendered  yet  more  so  by  the  tumefaction  of  his  nostrils. 
No  treatment  could  be  put  in  practice,  and  he  in  a  short  time 
died. 

"  The  three  others,  though  difficult  of  approach,  received  some 
treatment.  They  were  less  agitated  than  the  one  deceased, 
though  their  symptoms  were  the  same.  .  In  addition  to  oppressed 
breathing,  and  full,  strong,  and  very  quick  pulse,  they  had  injected 
membranes ;  pupils  dilated  to  an  extraordinary  degree ;  the 
borders  of  all  the  natural  apertures  swollen ;  the  tongue  larger 
than  usual;  exhibiting  black  spots,  from  the  stings  sticking  on 
the  mucous  membrane. 

"  Treatment. —  Dry  frictions,  to  eradicate  the  stings  implanted 
into  the  skin ;  frictions  with  ammoniacal  liniment ;  bloodlettings 
from  the  jugulars.  The  blood  appeared  thick  and  black,  and 
quickly  coagulated.  Injections  were  thrown  into  the  mouth. 
All  the  horses  died.* 

*  And  that  such  a  result  should  happen  we  are  not  surprised.  Only  think  !  — 
a  horse  suffering  the  most  intense  agony,  —  the  surfaces  highly  injected,  and 
a  thousand  fold  more  sensitive  than  at  any  other  time,  —  is  now  to  be  submitted 
to  dry  frictions  !  This  is  similia  similibus  curantur  with  a  vengeance.  A  high 
state  of  inflammatory  action  is  to  be  augmented  by  dry  friction.  To  be  chari- 
table, we  remark,  that  such  may  not  be  the  object  of  the  practitioner  ;  but  the 
practice  must  produce  such  result.  For  example :  Let  a  person,  on  a  chilly 
day,  seat  himself  before  a  comfortable  fire ;  he  soon  feels  a  glowing  sensation 
all  over  the  body  ;  the  oxygen  from  the  fire  stimulates  the  nerves  of  the  ex- 
posed parts,  such  as  the  face  and  hands,  and  the  blood  mounts  up  to  the  latter 
with  a  rush.  How  has  this  been  accomplished  ?  Not  so  much  by  increased 
arterial  action,  as  by  excitation  of  the  nervous  sensibility,  which  always  invites 
an  afflux  of  blood,  and  raises  the  sensibility  of  a  part  by  means  of  the  mutual 
relations  existing  between  the  capillary  and  nervous  systems.  In  this  state  of 
primary  inflammatory  action,  what  is  to  be  done  to  reduce  it  ?  Are  we  to  order 
the  person  to  give  his  face  a  sound  rubbing  ?  The  reader  will  see  the  inconsist- 
ency of  such  an  act ;  and  in  the  case  of  the  horse,  he  laboring  under  inflamma- 
tory action  of  even  a  more  aggravated  nature,  dry  friction,  which  increases 
irritation,  must  be  conducive  of  more  harm  than  good.  Among  the  many 
reasons  we  may  urge  against  bleeding  a  horse  after  being  stung,  we  just  alludo 
to  one;  and  that  is,  that  the  blood  is  not  at  fault — that  the  pain  arises  from 
nervous  influence.  The  blood  has  no  other  purpose  in  the  economy  of  the 
horse  than  to  convey  nutrition  into  the  neighborhood  of  parts  where  it  is 
wanted.  If  too  much  accumulate  in  a  given  part,  it  is  owing  to  some  irritant ; 
remove  or  lessen  the  irritation,  and  thus  allay  nervous  excitement,  and  the  pain 
ceases.  If  ever  a  horse  is  to  be  relieved  when  suffering  from  the  excitement 
and  pain  described  above,  it  can  only  be  accomplished  by  some  such  lubricating 
agent  as  just  recom J" *. 


316  THE   MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"Post  Mortem  Examinations.  —  In  all  of  them  a  great  quantity 
of  stings  were  found  sticking  in  the  skin,  especially  around  the 
nose,  eyes,  mouth,  ears,  anus,  flanks,  sheath,  and  internal  surfaces 
of  the  thighs.  The  borders  of  the  natural  orifices  were  much 
tumefied ;  excoriations  about  the  body  from  frictions  and  blows. 
Some  of  the  horses  had  their  teeth  broken.  Besides  which,  there 
were  to  be  seen  infiltrations  under  the  skin,  and  sub-cutaneous 
collective  tissue  in  different  parts,  especially  where  the  bones  were 
projecting,  where  there  were  stagnations  of  blood." 

Bleeding  never  relieves  stagnation. 

CUTANEOUS  ERUPTION  AND   ITCHING. 

A  very  slight  eruption  of  the  skin  will  sometimes  cause  violent 
itching.  There  are  various  forms  of  this  disease,  but  they  are  only 
varieties  of  the  same  condition,  and  require  nearly  the  same 
means  of  cure. 

Treatment.  —  Changes  in  diet,  according  to  the  condition  of  the 
horse,  will  often  cure  a  simple  case  without  any  medicine.  If  it 
does  not  yield  to  this,  let  the  animal  be  sponged  daily  with  a 
weak  ley  of  saleratus  water,  into  which  throw  a  little  sulphur ; 
and  give  a  few  doses  of  sulphur  and  sassafras,  equal  parts.  Dose, 
one  ounce  daily.  The  covering  of  the  body,  which  may  be  needed 
in  consequence  of  sponging,  should  be  linen,  instead  of  flannel. 

MANGE. 

Mange  is  a  disease  to  which  man,  as  well  as  a  great  variety  of 
animals,  is  subject ;  although  when  occurring  in  the  former  it  is 
generally  denominated  itch.  It  is  known  to  be  a  highly  contagious 
disease,  and  therefore  an  infected  animal  should  be  located  by 
himself.  Various  opinions  are  entertained  regarding  its  nature: 
the  most  popular  opinion  is,  that  it  is  dependent  on  the  presence 
of  animalcula  —  minute  insects  —  to  which  Mr.  Percivall  gives 
the  name  of  mites,  or  acari.  Our  own  opinion  is,  that  the  mites 
are  the  effect,  and  not  the  cause ;  that  they  are  generated  in  the 
metamorphosis  of  the  cuticular  tissues.  Poverty  and  insufficient 
food  have  been  assigned  as  among  the  causes  of  mange ;  but  this 
cannot  always  be  the  case,  for  we  know  that  it  often   occurs 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  31 


in  horses  that  have  been  well  fed,  and  it  occasionally  occurs  in 
dogs  that  eat  a  large  quantity  of  animal  food.  It  probably  origi- 
nates more  frequently  from  deranged  digestive  organs  than  from 
any  other  cause :  uncleanliness,  without  doubt,  may  give  rise  to 
it,  but  it  occurs  in  dogs  that  have  the  very  best  care  and  attention 
as  regards  cleanliness.  In  fact,  the  author  is  so  well  satisfied  of 
its  digestive  origin  that  he  never  attempts  to  cure  it  without  con- 
stitutional, as  well  as  local,  treatment. 

Treatment.  —  Before  making  any  application  to  the  skin,  let  the 
animal  be  sponged  all  over  the  body  with  lime  water ;  after  the 
skin  becomes  dry,  anoint  it,  by  means  of  a  sponge,  with 

Pyroligneous  acid, 4  ounces, 

Spirits  turpentine, 1  ounce, 

Linseed  oil, 3  ounces, 

Sulphur, 1  ounce. 

Mix.     To  be  well  shaken  when  used. 

Medicine.  —  Take  sulphur,  cream  of  tartar,  sassafras,  and  pow- 
dered mandrake,  of  each  two  ounces ;  rub  them  together  in  a 
mortar.  Divide  the  mass  into  twelve  parts,  and  give  one  night 
and  morning  in  the  fodder.  It  is  necessary  also  to  make  some 
change  in  the  diet,  and  by  all  means  avoid  musty  grain  and 
ground  meal,  while  treating  the  disease. 

CRACKED  HEELS. 

This  is  a  very  common  affection  among  horses  in  this  country, 
and  is  often  attended  with  considerable  lameness.  It  may  be  con- 
sidered in  the  light  of  local  plethora,  or  congestion  of  the  capil- 
laries. If  they  have  existed  any  length  of  time,  an  offensive 
discharge  sets  up,  and  the  surrounding  skin  becomes  tender,  and 
the  limb  tumefied ;  sympathetic  fever  then  sets  in ;  the  animal 
loses  his  appetite,  and  falls  off  in  flesh.  Cracked  heels  may  be 
treated  on  the  same  general  principles  as  recommended  under 
article  Grease  or  Scratches  ;  which  see.  It  is  necessary  at  times, 
in  order  to  keep  the  edges  of  the  crack  in  contact,  to  apply  a  soft 
pad  wetted  with  Turlington's  balsam,  and  encircle  the  parts  with 
a  narrow  roller.  To  relieve  pain,  apply  a  tent  moistened  with 
bulphuric  ether. 

27* 


318  THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 


ACUTE  IRRITATION   OF  THE  SKIN,  BY  CLIPPING. 

In  the  Elements  of  Veterinary  Homoeopathy,  written  by  Sur- 
geon Haycock,  we  find  an  article  on  acute  irritation  of  the  skin. 
The  author  takes  to  himself  the  credit  of  being  the  first  to  call 
attention  to  the  subject:  be  that  as  it  may,  he  has  earned  for 
himself  the  thanks  of  all  those  who  have  "  a  heart  to  feel  another's 
woe,"  by  giving  publicity  to  his  views  on  this  subject. 

When  we  come  to  take  into  consideration  the  irritation  and 
pain  some  men  suffer,  who,  after  allowing  their  beards  to  grow 
long,  cut  the  hair  off  close  to  the  skin,  we  can  then  realize  that 
horses  must  also  suffer  from  the  practice  of  clipping.  This  can 
be  explained  on  the  principle,  that  the  hair  at  its  base,  or  inser- 
tion, is  much  more  unyielding  than  at  its  remote  point,  (if  the 
hair  be  long,)  and  therefore,  if  the  hand  or  blanket  be  rapidly 
passed  over  the  short  hair,  considerable  resistance  is  met  with, 
and  a  greater  degree  of  motion  is  felt  in  the  sensitive  tissues  that 
enclose  the  bulb  and  radicles  of  the  hair;  consequently,  a  repe- 
tition of  the  practice,  or  from  the  act  of  grooming,  acute  irritation 
is  often  the  result. 

Another  reason  for  the  irritation  may  be  assigned.  The  hair 
is  described  as  small,  cylindrical,  transparent,  insensible,  and 
elastic  filaments,  which  arise  from  the  skin,  and  are  fastened  in  it 
by  means  of  small  roots.  Being  cylindrical,  therefore,  it  is  very 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  by  cutting  off  the  natural  coat  of  hair  at 
its  base,  where  its  calibre  is  of  considerable  magnitude,  we  expose 
an  immense  surface  of  highly  sensitive  tissue,  which,  in  reality, 
may  be  compared  to  stripping  off  so  many  minute  particles  of 
skin.  The  stimulating  effects  of  an  impure,  or  even  a  pure, 
atmosphere  on  the  interior  surface  of  the  hair  bulb  is  injurious. 
We  often  hear  men  complain  of  taking  cold,  and  experiencing  a 
feeling  of  slight  pain  or  irritation  at  the  same  time  they  take  cold, 
probably  partly  from  this  cause,  and  partly  from  the  removal  of 
the  pilous  covering  of  the  head.  The  symptoms,  as  described  by 
Surgeon  Haycock,  are:  "Acute  irritation  of  the  skin  is  charac- 
terized by  a  general  soreness  of  the  entire  surface.  If  the 
observer  attempts  to  place  his  hand  upon  the  body  of  the  animal, 


THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR.  319 

it  shrinks  away  with  great  fear.  Sometimes  the  soreness  is  so 
very  excessive  that  it  is  dangerous  to  hastily  approach  the  poor 
brute ;  he  will  kick  and  resist  handling  in  every  possible  way  in 
which  he  can.  The  skin  is  dry,  and  the  hair  feels  very  dry  and 
harsh  to  the  touch  ;  in  some  cases,  a  great  number  of  elevations 
"will  be  found  upon  the  skin  in  the  region  of  the  neck,  the  breast, 
upon  the  inner  surfaces  of  the  fore  limbs;  upon  the  haunches  under 
the  abdomen  ;  and  around  the  hind  limbs,  from  the  stifle  joints  to 
the  hoofs.  The  appetite  is  sometimes  very  much  impaired,  and  the 
pulse  becomes  increased  in  the  number  of  its  beats  ;  but,  generally 
speaking,  neither  the  appetite  nor  the  pulse  is  much  affected. 
Sometimes,  again,  it  is  associated  with  swelling  of  the  limbs  and 
chapped  heels,  and  also  swelling  of  the  sheath  in  horses. 

"  I  will  here  select  a  case  which  will  furnish  the  reader  a  good 
example  of  the  form  and  conditions  under  which  it  is  generally 
presented :  — 

"November  11,  1850.  I  was  requested  to  attend  upon  a 
pony,  the  property  of  J.  Battles,  Esq.,  solicitor,  in  this  town. 

"  History,  fyc.  —  The  animal  in  question  is  about  twelve  hands 
two  inches  in  height,  of  a  black  color,  and  well  bred.  About  a 
week  ago  it  was  clipped,  and  in  the  course  of  four  or  five  days 
after  the  operation,  it  was  observed  to  shrink  very  much  if  the 
groom  or  any  one  attempted  to  handle  it;  and  this  morning  it 
was  found  so  much  worse  in  the  above  respect,  that  I  was 
requested  to  attend  it. 

"  1.  The  pulse  and  respirations  are  normal. 

"  2.  The  appetite  is  by  no  means  good.  It  eats  a  little  now 
and  then ;  neither  does  it  partake  of  much  water. 

"  3.  The  dung  is  dry-looking  and  scanty,  and  the  urine  scanty 
and  thick. 

"  4.  It  is  very  much  afraid  of  being  handled.  If  I  attempt  to 
lay  my  hands  upon  it,  it  retreats  to  the  far  end  of  the  stall,  and 
gathers  itself  together. 

"5.  Upon  the  skin  in  the  region  of  the  neck,  also  between  the 
inner  surfaces  of  the  fore  limbs,  upon  the  sides  of  the  abdomen, 
under  the  abdomen,  upon  the  haunches,  and  around  the  hind 
limbs,  are  a  great  number  of  hard  elevations  about  the  size  of  a 
small  pea. 


320  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"  6.  The  fore  limbs  are  swollen  from  the  knees  downwards, 
and  the  hind  limbs  from  the  hock  downwards,  and  within  the 
hollow  of  the  heel  of  the  right  fore  limb  is  a  deep  crack  or  fissure, 
which  stretches  across  the  shin,  and  discharges  an  offensive  mat- 
ter ;  the  left  heel  is  also  slightly  chapped. 

"  It  is  difficult  to  accurately  determine  the  cause  of  the  attack 
in  the  present  case,  unless  it  arose  from  the  sudden  exposure  of 
the  skin.  Previous  to  its  being  clipped,  it  was  perfectly  healthy; 
and  since  then  it  has  been  regularly  used  and  fed  as  before, 
while  the  weather  has  remained,  upon  the  whole,  very  fine,  (con- 
sidering the  period  of  the  year)  during  the  last  six  or  eight  days." 

The  treatment  in  this  case  was  homoeopathic. 

Treatment.  —  We  might  with  truth  say  "  no  clipping,  no  treat- 
ment ;  "  for,  if  acute  irritation  is  the  result  of  clipping,  we  have 
only  to  discontinue  the  practice,  and  that  is  the  end  of  the  matter. 
But  Dame  Fashion  is  such  an  arbitrary  slut  that  it  is  no  sort  of 
use  to  oppose  her  mandates,  especially  when  they  receive  the 
sanction  of  her  millions  of  votaries  ;  therefore  we  must  prescribe 
something  to  mitigate  the  sufferings  of  the  poor  victim  that  has 
been  thus  deprived  of  his  natural  clothing,  and  made  the  subject 
of  unnecessary  torture.  A  simple  alkaline  wash  may  possibly 
answer  every  purpose.  One  ounce  of  saleratus  to  half  a  bucket 
of  water  will  be  sufficiently  strong :  indeed,  we  do  not  know  but 
sponging  the  body  twice  a  day  with  cold  water  instead  of  the 
former  —  which  should  be  so  used  —  might  have  a  good  effect. 
If,  however,  the  patient  is  uneasy,  irritable,  and  feverish,  in  short, 
has  the  usual  symptoms  of  sympathetic  derangement  of  some  one 
or  more  of  the  functions,  then  give  the  following :  — 

Castor  oil, 8  ounces, 

Tincture  of  aloes, 2  ounces, 

Essence  of  peppermint,  ....     2  drachms. 

The  groom  should  be  careful  to  use  a  soft  brush,  and  dispense 
with  the  currycomb  ;  and,  as  it  is  customary,  and  perhaps  ju- 
dicious, to  clothe  the  animal,  whether  exposed  or  otherwise,  the 
blanket  should  be  lined  with  soft  linen,  and  when  not  in  use 
must  be  spread  out  to  dry.* 

*  "If  the  owner,"  says  Haycock,  "cannot  suffer  a  long  coat  of  hair,  and 
will  have  it  shortened,  he  must  never  allow  the  horse  to  be  motionless  while  he 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  321 


SWEATING. 


"  My  horse  sweats  easy,"  is  a  common  complaint  among  horse 
owners ;  and  as  such  view  it  in  the  light  of  a  peculiar  disease,  the 
practitioner  must  be  prepared  to  prescribe  for  such  cases.  The 
sweating  seems  to  be  the  feature  most  regarded,  and  if  that  can 
only  be  made  to  disappear,  our  employers  are  generally  satisfied, 
although  they  are  not  always  solicitous  to  learn  the  real  cause  of  it. 

Let  us,  therefore,  in  as  brief  a  manner  as  possible,  inquire  into 
the  causes  of  increased  transpiration  of  the  fluids  of  the  body. 

A  large  quantity  of  watery  vapor  is  continually  passing  off 
from  the  body  of  horses,  and  it  may  be  very  considerable,  although 
not  sensible.  If  the  atmosphere  be  warm  and  dry,  it  readily  ab- 
sorbs the  cutaneous  exhalation,  so  as  to  pass  off  unobserved ; 
but  on  a  damp  day,  when  the  atmosphere  is  highly  charged  with 
vapor,  —  almost  to  saturation,  or  completely  so, —  then  the  ex- 
halation from  the  surface  is  there  condensed  so  as,  occasionally, 
to  give  the  horse  an  appearance  of  being  in  a  profuse  sweat. 
Under  these  circumstances,  the  amount  of  condensed  perspira- 
tion depends  on  the  warmth,  dryness,  and  motion  of  the  sur- 
rounding air. 

The  motion  of  the  atmosphere  has  considerable  to  do  with 
carrying  off  the  insensible  fluid.  Many  of  our  readers  must  have 
observed  that  a  horse  will  dry  off  quicker,  and  of  course  sweat 


is  wet  or  exposed  to  a  cold  blast.  He  must  have  a  good  groom  and  a  good 
stable.  Those  who  have  both  seldom  have  a  horse  that  requires  clipping ;  but 
when  clipped,  he  must  not  want  either.  A  long  coat  takes  up  a  deal  of  mois- 
ture, and  is  difficult  to  dry ;  but  whether  wet  or  dry,  it  affords  some  defence  to 
the  skin,  which  is  laid  bare  to  every  breath  of  air  when  deprived  of  its  natural 
covering.  Every  one  must  know  from  himself  whether  wet  clothing  and  a 
wet  skin,  or  no  clothing  and  a  wet  skin,  is  the  most  disagreeable  and  danger- 
ous. It  is  true  that  clipping  saves  the  groom  a  great  deal  of  labor.  He  can 
dry  the  horse  in  half  the  time,  and  with  less  than  half  the  exertion  which  a 
long  coat  requires  ;  but  it  makes  his  attention  and  activity  more  necessary,  for 
the  horse  is  almost  sure  to  take  cold  if  not  dressed  immediately.  "When  well 
clothed  with  hair,  he  is  in  less  danger,  and  not  so  much  dependent  on  the  care 
of  the  groom.  These  observations  contain  the  whole  rationale  of  clipping,  and 
show  it  is  inapplicable  to  farm  horses;  and  as  country  grooms  are  usually 
qualified,  clipping  would  prove  but  problematically  beneficial  to  the  saddle  or 
harness  horse  of  the  farmer." 


322  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

less,  in  a  draught  of  air  than  in  a  damp  stable,  where  there  is  no 
current. 

As  no  evaporation  from  the  skin  can,  therefore,  take  place 
while  the  atmosphere  is  loaded  with  vapor,  and  as  the  perspira- 
tory glands  stiil  continue  to  pour  it  out  on  the  surface,  it  must 
inevitably  produce  an  appearance  of  profuse  sweating.  In  such 
cases,  the  reader  will  perceive  the  absurdity  of  dosing  a  horse ;  for 
the  conditions  under  which  the  fluid  is  poured  forth  are  peculiar 
to  all  animals  whose  skins  are  not  covered  with  scales  or  plates. 
Physiologists  teach  us  that  the  purpose  of  this  watery  exhalation, 
and  of  its  increase  under  a  high  temperature,  (for  it  does  increase 
under  the  scorching  rays  of  a  noonday  sun,  whether  the  horse 
be  drawing  a  load  or  not,)  is  evidently  to  keep  the  heat  of  the  body 
as  near  as  possible  to  a  uniform  standard.  By  the  evaporation  of 
fluid  from  the  surface  of  the  skin,  a  considerable  quantity  of  heat 
is  withdrawn  from  it,  becoming  latent  in  the  change  from  fluid  to 
vapor,  and  this  evaporating  process  lessens  the  temperature  of 
the  whole  body.  Were  it  not  for  this  all-wise  provision,  neither 
man  nor  horse  could  ever  endure  the  rays  of  a  tropical  sun ;  nei- 
ther could  they  sustain  any  high  degree  of  heat  for  any  great 
length  of  time  without  injury  to  the  vital  tissues.  Carpenter  in- 
forms us  that  the  perspiration  contains  a  small  quantity  of  solid 
animal  matter,  most  of  which  accumulates  on  the  surface :  this 
is  —  at  least  should  be  —  removed  by  the  brush  and  currycomb. 
Besides,  there  are  other  secretions  of  the  skin  which  are  mingled 
with  it ;  and  there  is  good  reason  to  think  that  this  excretion  is 
of  much  importance  in  carrying  off  certain  substances  which 
would  be  injurious  if  allowed  to  remain  in  the  blood.  This  re- 
ceives confirmation  from  the  fact  known  to  all  grooms,  that  hu- 
mory  horses,  as  they  are  termed,  have  an  abundance  of  scurf  on 
their  hides,  and  require  constant  grooming  to  keep  them  any 
thing  like  decent.  "We  here  see  the  circumstances  under  which 
evaporation  and  condensation  take  place,  and  have  learned 
something  as  regards  the  object  of  cutaneous  exhalation  in  its 
normal  or  healthy  aspect. 

"We  are  now  prepared  to  investigate  the  causes  of  abnormal 
exhalation.  And  this  takes  place  at  various  times,  subject  to  the 
preceding  provisions,  under  several  forms  of  disease ;  yet  of  itself 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR.  323 

rt  cannot  be  considered  as  such.  It  is  sometimes  indicative  of  pain, 
irritation,  &c.  A  horse,  for  example,  has  an  acute  attack  of 
gastro-enteritis,  —  inflammation  of  the  stomach  and  bowels  ;  —  he 
seems  to  sweat  so  profusely  that  the  water  runs  from  his  body  in 
large  drops ;  the  pain,  together  with  the  muscular  efforts  of  the 
animal,  augment  this  secretion ;  and  thus  augmented,  it  helps  to 
cool  our  patient  and  lessen  inflammatory  symptoms.  In  such 
case,  and  in  many  others  of  an  acute  character,  occurring  in  a 
plethoric  subject,  sweating  is  decidedly  beneficial :  it  is  prostrat- 
ing, no  doubt;  but  as  the  object  of  every  practitioner  in  the 
treatment  of  acute  disease  is  to  prostrate  by  some  means  or  other, 
sweating  is  a  valuable  process,  in  view  of  cure.  Here  again  we 
need  not  prescribe  for  sweating. 

We,  however,  often  find  horses  of  a  wreak,  washy  constitution, 
laboring  under  some  chronic  form  of  disease,  that  cannot  perform 
mere  ordinary  work  without  getting  into  a  perfect  lather.  Such 
are  proper  subjects  for  veterinary  skill,  not  in  view  of  prescribing 
anti-sweating  medicine — although  it  prove  so,  by  restoring  the 
animal  to  health,  —  but  for  the  purpose  of  treating  the  real  mal- 
ady.    If  successful,  the  sweating  will  disappear. 

A  horse  must  be  expected  to  sweat  on  a  sultry  day,  especially 
if  he  shall  have  imbibed  large  quantities  of  water.  The  sweating, 
however,  is  beneficial,  and  often  wards  off  an  attack  of  founder 
or  rheumatism. 

Profuse  perspiration  in  the  last  stages  of  dissolution  is  a  feature 
only  regarded  as  a  symptom,  and  therefore  it  is  useless  to  pre- 
scribe with  a  view  of  putting  a  stop  to  it.  For  these  and  other 
reasons  which  might  be  presented,  sweating  cannot  be  considered 
as  a  disease. 

Sweating  often  relieves  the  system  from  disease,  by  liberating, 
through  the  surface,  morbid  matter ;  so  that  if  we  were  to  suppress 
the  cutaneous  exhalation  by  providing  for  its  exit  through  some 
other  depuratory  surface,  disease  of  some  sort  is  very  liable  to 
succeed. 

There  are  four  depuratory  surfaces  —  the  skin,  lungs,  digestive 
surface,  and  kidneys :  each  is  continually  eliminating  materials, 
many  of  which,  if  retained,  would  prove  injurious  to  both  man 
and  animals. 


324  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

But  exposed  as  domestic  animals  are  to  such  varieties  of 
atmospheric  changes,  it  seems  natural  that  some  provision  should 
be  made  for  change  or  diminution  of  function.  And  thus  we  find 
that,  if  a  horse  in  a  profuse  sweat  is  suddenly  exposed  to  a  current 
of  cool  air,  the  mouths  of  the  exhalants  close,  putting  a  sudden 
stop  to  transpiration:  the  result  would  be  disease,  and  probably 
death,  (which  now  and  then  does  happen,)  were  it  not  that  the 
fluids  recede  to  some  other  surface.  When  the  kidneys  are  its 
receptacle,  it  passes  off  by  the  urinary  organs  ;  when  it  recedes  to 
the  digestive  surface,  a  diarrhoea  is  the  result.  Should  the  lungs 
be  called  upon  to  perform  the  extra  labor,  copious  expectoration 
is  the  result.  In  each  of  these  cases  disease  is  very  apt  to  follow, 
and  therefore  under  no  circumstances  whatever  should  the  cuta- 
neous exhalation  be  checked.  If  an  animal  is  laboring  under  any 
form  of  disease,  prescribe  for  that,  and  let  him  sweat. 

WARTS. 

These  excrescences,  arising  from  the  cuticular  covering  of  the 
skin,  are  sometimes  very  annoying  to  horses,  especially  when 
occurring  about  the  eye,  sheath,  penis,  or  on  parts  which  come  in 
contact  with  the  harness. 

Warts  are  so  familiar  to  every  one,  that  it  appears  unnecessary 
to  enter  into  any  description  of  them,  other  than  to  remark,  that 
they  are  at  first  composed  of  fibrin,  which  ultimately  becomes 
cartilaginous. 

Treatment.  —  A  wart  having  a  broad  base  should  be  treated 
in  the  following  manner :  Take  a  common  suture  needle,  and  arm 
it  with  a  double  ligature  ;  each  ligature  is  to  be  composed  of 
three  threads  of  saddler's  twine,  well  waxed;  pass  the  needle 
right  through  the  centre  of  the  wart,  close  down  to  the  skin ;  tie 
each  half  separately,  with  a  surgeon's  knot,  as  tight  as  possible  ;  cut 
the  ends  off  pretty  close  to  the  knot,  and  in  the  course  of  a  short 
time  the  whole  will  drop  off.  A  wart  having  a  small  circum- 
scribed pedicle  may  be  removed  in  the  same  way,  by  tying  a 
single  ligature  round  its  base.  If  the  exposed  surfaces  should 
not  heal  readily,  moisten  them  occasionally  with  tincture  of  aloes 
and  myrrh ;  and  if  they  show  a  disposition  to  ulcerate,  sprinkle 


THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  325 

them  with  powdered  charcoal  and  bloodrcot,  equal  parts.  "Warts 
about  the  sheath  or  penis  should  be  removed  by  excision  :  to  do 
this,  we  often  have  to  cast  the  animal,  the  consequent  hemor- 
rhage to  be  arrested  with  tincture  of  muriate  of  iron  or  styptic. 
See  Styptic. 

CONSIDERATIONS    AND    EXPERIMENTS    RELATING    TO 
CONTAGIOUS  DISEASES. 

"  Prevention  is  cheaper  than  cure." 

In  these  remarks  M.  Magendie's  object  has  been  to  examine 
into  the  channels  through  which  deleterious  substances  find  admis- 
sion into  the  animal  economy. 

u  Respiration  is  the  principal  one.  Through  it  we  are  continu- 
ally exposed  to  the  action  of  gases,  vapors,  emanations,  virulent 
and  caustic  poisons,  germs  and  seeds,  the  ulterior  development 
of  which  may  entail  mortal  results.  The  majority  of  substances 
thus  introduced  are  of  a  nature  to  alter  the  composition  of  the 
blood,  and  disturb  its  vital  operations. 

"  The  vapors  have  divers  chemical  compositions.  Some  there 
are  which  have  the  power  of  quickly  extinguishing  the  nervous 
energy  ;  and  although  not  many  of  them  possess  this  fatal  prop- 
erty, it  no  less  becomes  our  duty  to  inquire  into  their  mode 
of  action.  At  the  head  of  these  we  must  place  prussic  acid,  a 
substance  so  volatile  that  it  condenses  while  evaporating.  Ma- 
gendie  illustrated  this  by  experiment.  He  mixed,  in  a  conical 
vessel,  a  portion  of  medicinal  prussic  acid  in  combination  with 
three  fourths  of  alcohol,  and  one  fourth  of  the  acid.  He  then 
took  a  rabbit,  and  held  its  nose  to  the  mouth  of  the  glass  vessel, 
so  that  it  was  fully  exposed  to  the  vapor  rising  from  the  mixture. 
The  animal  became  convulsed,  and  in  a  few  seconds  died.  In 
this  case,  the  blood  of  the  rabbit  became  impregnated  with  the 
gas  of  the  acid,  without  the  pulmonary  vessels  being  involved. 
The  lungs  are  constituted  of  a  myriad  of  tubes,  whose  mem- 
branous walls,  being  extremely  thin  and  porous,  have  the  property 
of  being  permeable  to  vapor.  The  vapors  arising  from  the 
blood  in  the  same  manner  pass  out,  constituting  the  pulmonary 
28 


o2ti  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

transpiration.  This  may  be  plainly  seen  by  introd  «cing  phos- 
phorus into  the  blood.  As  soon  as  the  blood  containing  it 
arrives  at  the  lungs,  it  escapes  by  respiration,  the  animal  breath- 
ing opaque  white  vapors,  consisting  of  phosphoric  acid,  which 
inflames  in  contact  with  air.  This  continual  evaporation  is  no 
hinderance  to  the  air  coming  in  contact  with  the  blood  circulating 
through  the  pulmonary  capillary  vessels.  What  is  without  may 
pass  into  the  blood,  and  vice  versa. 

"  These  phenomena  command  the  utmost  attention  from  medical 
men.  It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  know  the  composition 
of  the  air  we  respire,  since  so  many  diseases  are  in  this  manner 
produced ;  and  though  we  with  difficulty  arrive  at  any  certain 
knowledge  of  the  miasms  rising  in  marshy  grounds,  from  the  de- 
composition of  putrid  vegetable  and  animal  matters,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  whatever  of  their  entering  into  the  blood,  through 
the  medium  of  the  air,  and  so  producing  grave  disease.  In  some 
countries  especially,  such  affections  rage  with  extreme  intensity ; 
in  hot,  humid  climates,  and  particularly  on  the  sea  coast  and  bor- 
ders of  certain  rivers,  as,  for  instance,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  Vera 
Cruz,  New  Orleans,  &c.  Such  causes  of  disease  admit  of  dem- 
onstration ;  since,  by  introduction  of  them  into  the  blood,  ex- 
perimentally, may  be  produced,  though  not  exactly  the  yellow 
fever,  symptoms  bearing  the  greatest  resemblance  to  it,  with 
black  vomit  and  speedy  death.  Lower  Egypt,  where  the  plague 
formerly  prevailed  so  alarmingly,  owing  to  such  causes,  has  been 
rendered  comparatively  healthy  by  the  improved  condition  of  the 
country. 

"  What  we  observe  in  such  insalubrious  countries  and  situations 
abroad  as  these,  is  apt  but  too  often  to  present  itself  in  our  dis- 
secting rooms  at  home.  In  spite  of  every  precaution  to  disinfect 
such  places,  and  retard  the  putrefaction  of  the  bodies  in  them, 
every  year  we  have  a  certain  number  of  dissecting  pupils  seized 
with  the  low  fever  called  at  the  present  day  typhoid. 

"  A  very  curious  experiment  has  served  to  show  the  facility 
with  which  miasms  enter  the  blood  through  the  respiratory  pas- 
sages. For  a  long  time  it  has  been  the  opinion  of  M.  Magendie, 
that  the  pulmonary  mucous  membrane  did  not  extend  through 
the  extreme  ramifications  of  the  bronchi,  —  an  assertion  rebutted 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  327 

by  several  anatomists,  on  the  score  of  the  mucous  linings  of 
canals  extending  throughout  these  cavities,  —  and  that,  if  the  pul- 
monary membrane  could  not  anatomically  be  proved  to  do  so,  it 
was  on  account  of  its  extreme  tenuity.  In  proof,  however,  that 
his  opinion  was  well  founded,  M.  Magendie  experimented  with 
a  virulent  poison  called  woorara,  which  was  known  to  take  no 
effect  on  mucous  surfaces,  but  to  pass  through  the  stomach  and 
intestines  unaltered  in  its  properties,  although,  when  placed  in 
contact  with  a  vascular  surface,  the  smallest  particle  of  it  occa- 
sions instant  death.  With  this  he  smeared  the  interior  of  the 
bronchial  tubes  without  producing  any  effect ;  though  when  he 
reduced  the  poison  to  very  fine  powder,  and  contrived  the  grad- 
ual introduction  of  it  into  the  air  cells,  where  it  underwent  solu- 
tion, then  its  poisond*us  effects  became  manifest,  furnishing  con- 
firmatory evidence  of  M.  Magendie's  theory  of  their  anatomy. 
A  proof,  as  has  appeared  all  along,  that  respiration  is  the  princi- 
pal and  the  most  common  channel  through  which  miasms  enter 
the  blood,  is,  that  animal  matters,  in  a  state  of  putrefaction,  in- 
troduced into  the  stomach,  do  not  prove  destructive.  Some  car- 
nivora  —  the  dog  and  the  wolf — are  fond  of  putrid  flesh. 
Certain  men  have  the  same  craving.  There  are  some  who  live 
on  human  flesh ;  and  we  know,  by  many,  game  that  is  called 
high  is  preferred  to  that  which  is  fresh. 

"  If  human  industry  has  for  a  long  time  made  us  acquainted 
with  the  means  of  neutralizing  the  effects  of  putrefaction,  the 
stomach  has  ever  possessed  this  property  in  an  eminent  degree ; 
and  this,  doubtless,  is  the  explanation  of  our  being  able  to  eat 
viands  in  a  putrid  condition.  M.  Magendie  has  made  this  the 
subject  of  some  very  curious  experiments.  Fifteen  grains  of 
blood  in  a  state  of  putrefaction,  giving  off  ammonia  and  sulphu- 
retted hydrogen,  was  injected  into  the  jugular  vein  of  a  dog.  The 
effect  was,  great  disturbance  of  all  the  functions  of  the  brain,  the 
circulation,  and  locomotion ;  and  the  animal  died  in  twelve  hours. 
Here  death  could  not  be  owing  either  to  the  ammonia  or  the  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen  contained  in  so  small  a  quantity  of  blood. 
A  second  experiment  is,  introducing  underneath  the  skin  of  a 
dog  a  couple  of  drachms  of  putrid  water,  in  which  stale  fish  had 
been.     The  simple  absorption  of  this  proved  sufficient  to  bring 


328  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

on  rapid  death.  In  both  these  cases,  after  death  the  lungs 
proved  greatly  injected ;  the  blood  within  the  large  vessels  was 
deep  black  and  hardly  coagulated,  and  much  resembled  currant 
jelly.  Frequent  repetition  of  these  experiments  led  the  learned 
professor  to  the  conclusion  that,  whenever  putrid  matter  in  any 
quantity  is  introduced  into  the  system,  the  blood  losing  its  char- 
acteristic properties,  and  becoming  unfit  fdr  circulation  through 
the  lungs,  death  ensues. 

"  With  a  view  of  ascertaining  if  the  gastric  juice  possesses  any 
influence  in  counteracting  the  deleterious  effects  of  -putrefaction, 
M.  Bernard,  after  having  contrived  to  obtain  some  of  this  juice 
through  means  of  a  stomach  fistula,  mixed  it  with  an  equal  quan 
tity  of  putrid  blood,  leaving  them  together  for  eighteen  hours, 
and  then  injecting  the  mixture  into  the  jugular  vein  of  a  dog. 
The  animal  giving  no  signs  of  having  felt  any  thing  amiss,  the 
conclusion  was  come  to,  that  gastric  juice  was  endowed  with  the 
power  of  neutralizing  the  deleterious  action  of  the  putrid  fer- 
ment. Spallanzani  had  already  shown  that  gastric  juice  was  an 
antiseptic:  this  observation  shows  more — that  the  same  juice 
has  the  power  of  robbing  putrid  matters  of  their  hurtful  qual- 
ities. 

"  Under  certain  conditions  putrid  miasms  prove  highly  active. 
These  conditions  are,  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  miasm,  an  ele- 
vated temperature,  and,  we  must  add,  individual  susceptibility. 

"  "We  readily  understand  that,  for  the  production  of  the  disease, 
it  is  necessary  that  the  miasm  should  exist  in  sufficient  quantity, 
spread  about  in  the  air,  and  that  the  air  reach  the  lungs  sufficiently 
saturated  for  it  to  become  introduced  into  the  system.  The  heat 
also,  at  the  time,  ought  to  be  perceptible  and  continuous.  Yellow 
fever  does  not  prevail  in  cold  seasons.  It  is  in  countries  where 
the  air  is  warm  and  humid  that  putrid  fermentation  actively 
proceeds  and  acquires  all  its  baneful  properties.  M.  Magendie, 
in  his  experiments,  found  that  more  putrid  matter  was  required 
to  take  effect  in  cold  than  in  hot  weather  ;  in  addition  to  which, 
every  individual  has  his  peculiar  insusceptibility,  (resistance 
propre.) 

u  So  that  the  cause  of  disease  called,  not  without  reason,  putrid, 
is  to  be  sought  in  the  introduction  into  the  circulation  of  putrid 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  329 

matters,  be  they  in  the  liquid  form,  or  in  that  of  gas  or  vapor."  — ■ 
Lectures  delivered  to  the  College  of  France,  by  M.  Magendie. 

MELANOSIS. 

Melanosis  exists  in  the  form  of  tumor  or  tubercle  of  an  irregu- 
lar shape ;  and  when  cut  into,  presents  a  sort  of  black  color. 
There  seem  to  be  two  kinds  —  one  located  in  visceral  organs 
and  in  the  eye ;  the  other  generally  locates  about  the  tail  and 
under  the  common  integument.  Gray  horses  are  more  subject 
to  it  than  those  of  any  other  color.  The  only  treatment  known 
to  the  author  is,  extirpation  with  the  knife. 

Extirpation  of  two  Melanotic  Tumors  from  the  Body  of  a  Horse, 
while  under  the  Influence  of  Chloroform. 

History  of  the  Case,  fye.  —  The  subject,  a  gray  stallion,  aged 
nine  years,  the  property  of  D.  Hanlin,  Harrison  Avenue,  was 
observed,  about  eighteen  months  since,  to  have  small  tumors, 
occupying  a  space  known  as  the  humeral  region,  (below  the  shoul- 
der blades.)  They  had  gradually  increased  in  size ;  yet,  as  the 
horse  was  performing  his  ordinary  duties  without  the  least  incon- 
venience, very  little  notice  was  taken  of  the  matter,  and  the  owner 
considered  the  swelling  as  nothing  more  than  an  "  eyesore."  Lat- 
terly, however,  the  horse  had  been  used  in  the  shafts  ;  and  either 
in  consequence  of  bruise,  or  friction  from  the  shafts,  the  swelling 
had  rapidly  increased  in  size,  so  as  to  interfere  with  the  normal 
action  of  the  shoulder  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  our  advice  was 
sought,  and  after  an  examination,  we  proposed  an  operation,  to 
which  the  owner  consented. 

Operation.  —  Friday,  November  4,  1853.  The  patient  was 
cast,  off  side  up.  Dr.  Fletcher  Oakes,  of  this  city,  kindly  con- 
sented to  superintend  the  administration  of  chloroform.  A  sponge, 
being  saturated  with  two  ounces  of  this  article,  was  enclosed  in  a 
suitable  breathing  apparatus,  and  thus  applied  to  the  patient's 
nostrils.  The  quantity  used  during  the  operation  was  three  and 
a  half  ounces.  The  pupils  of  the  eyes  being  dilated,  and  sterto- 
rous breathing  having  commenced,  a  straight  incision,  of  eleven 
inches  in  length,  was  made  over  the  region  occupied  by  the 
28* 


330  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

tumors;  they  were  then  dissected  from  their  sub-cellular  and  mus- 
cular attachments.  The  blood  vessels  cut  during  the  operation 
being  merely  sub-cutaneous  ramifications,  it  was  not  thought  neces- 
sary to  employ  ligatures  ;  and  the  horse  lost  but  a  trifling  amount 
of  blood.  The  wound  having  been  cleansed  with  cold  water,  its 
edges  were  brought  together  by  interrupted  sutures,  and  finely 
dressed  with  compound  tincture  of  myrrh.  The  horse  was  shortly 
wards  led  to  his  stable. 

Description  of  the  Tumors  and  their  Location.  —  The  first  was 
of  an  ovoid  form,  measuring  seventeen  inches  around  its  short 
diameter,  by  seven  inches  in  length,  and  weighed  four  pounds. 
On  making  a  straight  incision  through  its  centre,  it  presented  a 
black,  pitchy  appearance,  and  was  composed  of  a  somewhat  dense, 
fibrous  body,  containing  within  its  meshes  a  thick  fluid,  resem- 
bling coal  tar,  which  left  a  black  stain  on  the  scalpel  and  fingers, 
easily  removed,  however,  by  water.  This  tumor  was  situated  on 
the  off  side,  in  the  "posterior  inferior"  region  of  the  shoulder 
blade. 

The  second  tumor  was  of  a  similar  form  and  character,  and 
occupied  the  space  immediately  below  the  former ;  it  weighed  a 
trifle  over  one  pound.  The  large  tumor  was  firmly  imbedded  in 
cellular  tissue,  and  also  had  a  slight  attachment  to  the  common 
integument —  its  base  being  united  to  the  intercostal  muscles. 

Subsequent  Treatment.  —  The  wound  made  by  the  incision  had 
done  well  up  to  the  fifth  day  ;  when,  probably  in  consequence  of 
an  itching  sensation,  which  usually  attends  the  restoration  of  dis- 
eased parts,  the  animal's  attention  was  directed  thitherward,  and 
for  the  relief  of  which  he  commenced  rubbing  himself  against  the 
stall :  this  manoeuvre  was,  no  doubt,  rather  pleasant  than  other- 
wise; his  owner,  however,  happening  to  look  in  about  this 
time,  put  a  stop  to  it,  and  rewarded  our  patient  with  a  dressing. 
He  was  then  secured  to  the  middle  of  a  wide  stall,  by  means  of  a 
halter  on  each  side,  and  left  for  the  night;  during  which  he  broke 
loose,  and  by  means  of  his  teeth  tore  out  every  stitch,  and  laid 
the  wound  fairly  open.  Next  morning  it  presented  a  frightful 
looking  chasm,  from  which  was  issuing  a  mixture  of  blood,  pus, 
and  serum  very  profuse  and  somewhat  fetid ;  yet  notwithstand- 
ing this  interruption  of  the  healing  process,  the  horse  is  so  far 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  331 

recovered  as  to  be  able  to  go  to  work — just  four  weeks  after  the 
operation. 

A  twitch  having  been  placed  on  the  horse's  nose  for  the  pur- 
pose of  directing  his  attention  from  what  followed,  the  edges  of 
the  wound  were  again  brought  together  by  stitches,  leaving  at  the 
base  an  orifice  for  the  discharge  of  morbid  matter.  The  parts 
were  then  dressed  with  a  compound  of  aloes  and  myrrh ;  a  com- 
press of  linen,  saturated  with  the  same,  was  applied,  which 
was  kept  in  position  by  means  of  a  bandage  encircling  the  chest. 
The  dressing  was  renewed  once  in  twenty-four  hours  until  the 
third  day,  when  a  profuse  discharge  of  healthy  pus  having  taken 
place,  the  pad  and  bandage  were  omitted.  About  this  time  the 
off  fore  limb  became  infiltrated,  —  dropsical,  —  attended  with  slight 
sympathetic  fever ;  for  which  he  took 

Sulphur, 4  drachms, 

Cream  of  tartar, 2  drachms, 

Sassafras, 3  drachms. 

This  was  given  as  a  drench,  in  thin  gruel,  for  three  successive 
days,  with  decided  benefit.  The  cure  was  completed  by  the  fre- 
quent application  of  equal  parts  of  linseed  oil  and  pyroligneous 
acid.  The  diet  consisted  of  hay  and  scalded  shorts,  until  the 
patient  was  able  to  take  exercise ;  when  his  regular  allowance 
was  served  out. 


DISEASES  OF  THE  HOOF  AND  LAMINA. 

OBSERVATIONS   ON  THE  HORSE'S  HOOF. 

The  external  covering  of  the  foot  may  be  divided  into  four 
parts,  viz.,  the  wall,  or  crust,  the  bars,  sole,  and  horny  frog.  The 
external  portion,  named  crust,  is  adapted  as  a  defence  to  the  sen- 
sitive parts  within.  It  is  composed  of  small  filaments,  or  hollow 
tubes,  consolidated  in  such  a  manner  as  to  preserve  their  canals 
distinct.  These  canals  constitute  the  excrementitious  outlets  of 
the  hoof,  through  which  morbific  or  waste  matters  make  their 
exit ;  and  in  them  may  also  be  found  the  vessels  by  which  the 


332  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

horn  is  secreted.  The  small  vessels  arising  from  the  vascular 
and  nervous  membrane  beneath  the  hoof,*  which  is  considered  as 
a  continuation  of  the  true  skin,  enter  also  into  these  canals.  The 
small  vessels  alluded  to,  technically  called  papilla,  possess  the 
properties  of  sensibility  and  conductibility.  They  are  formed 
from  cells,  and  have  an  allotted  function  to  perform,  for  which, 
in  their  healthy  state,  they  are  all-sufficient,  and  for  which  no 
other  class  has  or  can  perform  without  derangement  to  the  parts. 

The  bars  are  a  continuation  of  the  external  portion  just  de- 
scribed. They  form  an  angle  at  the  heels,  which  terminate 
towards  the  toe.  They  serve  to  give  strength  and  durability  to 
the  hoof,  prevent  contraction  of  the  heels,  and  thus  aid  the  hoof 
in  protecting  the  soft  and  sensitive  parts.  The  internal  portion 
of  the  bars  presents  the  same  appearances  as  that  of  the  crust. 
They  are  held  together  by  vital  affinities,  and  so  long  as  they 
maintain  their  normal  integrity,  the  foot  will  preserve  its  form. 

Next  in  order  is  the  sole.  It  is  considered  to  be  more  elastic 
than  the  crust,  and  is  the  medium  of  the  sensitive  faculty,  through 
which,  together  with  its  powers  of  elasticity,  the  percussion  of 
the  foot  against  the  ground  is  regulated. 

The  horny  frog  is  still  more  elastic  than  either  of  the  parts  de- 
scribed, and  any  unnecessary  u  paring,"  on  the  part  of  the  smith, 
is  to  be  deprecated. 

On  the  internal  portion  of  the  parts  just  described  we  find  a 
beautiful  set  of  laminse,  resembling  those  found  on  the  under  part 
of  a  mushroom :  their  number  is  said  to  be  about  five  hundred, 
which  articulate  with  a  similar  number  given  off  from  the  coffin 
bone.  Each  lamina,  having  two  sides  and  an  edge,  forms  a  series 
of  articulations,  numbering  about  three  thousand  !      The  whole 


*  The  nails  of  man  correspond  to  the  hoof  of  a  horse,  for  they  are  formed  of 
a  substance  analogous.  If  we  examine  the  nail  under  the  microscope,  we  shall 
find  that  it  consists  of  hard,  transparent,  and  somewhat  elastic  plates,  which 
adhere  to  the  vascular  and  nervous  membrane  of  the  papilla?.  The  latter  are. 
arranged  in  longitudinal  and  parallel  rows.  The  internal  surface  of  the  nail, 
like  that  of  a  hoof,  is  soft,  pulpy,  and  marked  with  longitudinal  grooves  and 
prominences,  corresponding  to  the  laminse  found  within  the  hoof.  A  similar 
arrangement,  possessing,  however,  exquisite  sensibility,  is  found  on  that  portion 
of  the  finger  covered  by  the  nail ;  and,  by  this  mutual  adaptation,  the  connec- 
tion between  them  is  sustained.     The  nails  are  a  continuation  of  the  true  skjn, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  333 

presents  a  surface  of  four  square  feet.  Hence  the  body  of  a  horse 
rests  upon  sixteen  square  feet  of  surface  within  the  hoof. 

The  hoof,  we  have  already  observed,  serves  as  a  defence  to  the 
sensitive  parts  within.  It  varies  in  size  and  thickness  according 
to  the  age  and  condition  of  the  animal.  Its  texture  may  be  ren- 
dered hard  or  soft  by  the  judicious  application  of  therapeutic 
agents.  Its  conformation  may  be  altered,  for  better  or  worse,  by 
proper  attention  to  the  laws  of  animal  life,  stable  management, 
and  skilful  shoeing. 

When  we  see  a  poor  dumb  brute  driven,  hobbling  along  on 
three  legs,  to  the  nearest  blacksmith's  shop,  with  a  view  of  dis- 
covering the  seat  of  lameness,  and  there  subjected  to  the  inquisi- 
torial process  of  pinching,*  we  have  almost  wished  that  the  poor 
horse  could  exchange  places  with  his  tormentors.  If  the  culti- 
vators of  human  medicine  had  adopted  this  brutal  method  of 
diagnosing  a  disease,  it  would  have  been  natural  to  suppose  that 
they  were  qualifying  themselves  as  butchers. 

Some  people  seem  to  suppose  that  a  horse's  foot  is  as  insensi- 
ble as  a  stone ;  and  when  we  see  the  smith  wrenching  off  the 
shoes,  often  bringing  away  a  portion  of  the  hoof  with  them,  and 
cutting  off  large  pieces  with  as  little  care  as  a  man  would  trim  a 
log,  then  applying  a  red-hot  shoe  to  the  part,  withcut  any  regard 
to  the  feelings  of  the  animal,  —  under  these  circumstances  it  would 
appear  to  justify  the  conclusion  that  the  foot  is,  really,  insuscep- 
tible to  feeling. 

Many  of  our  readers  have,  probably,  had  occasion  to  deplore 
the  present  barbarous  system  of  shoeing.  Dear-bought  experi- 
ence may  have  taught  them  a  lesson  which  they  are  not  likely  to 
forget.  The  Hon.  M.  P.  Wilder,  in  a  letter  to  the  author  on  this 
subject,  remarks,  "  I  know  of  no  greater  evidence  of  inhumanity 
to  that  noble  animal,  the  horse,  than  the  almost  universal  custom 
of  paring  down  the  foot  and  burning  on  the  shoe.  It  has  ever,  to 
my  mind,  been  among  the  barbarisms  of  the  age,  and  which  I 
trust  will  no  longer  be  countenanced  by  civilized  society.  I  sym- 
pathize with   your  efforts   to   correct   this,  and   other   equally 

*  Which  consists  in  grasping  the  foot  between  the  points  of  a  pair  of  pincers, 
and  applying  them  vigorously  to  every  part  of  the  hoof  until  a  tender  spot  is 
found,  (produced  !) 


334  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

dangerous  practices,  in  the  administration  of  destructive  medi- 
cines ;  and  I  hope  your  efforts  will  be  crowned  with  success." 

TREADS  AND    OVERREACHES. 

A  tread,  or  calk,  is  an  injury  inflicted  "on  one  foot  by  the 
"calkin"  —  or,  as  often  happens,  the  edge  of  the  shoe  —  on 
another  foot,  producing  a  contused  wound,  which  is  often  trouble- 
some to  heal.  This  sort  of  injury  differs  from  any  incised 
wound,  inasmuch  as  it  is  a  sort  of  bruise  by  which  the  surround- 
ing parts  are  lacerated  and  violently  torn  from  their  horny  at- 
tachments, and  the  wound,  although  simple  in  appearance,  is  of 
such  a  complicated  nature  that  it  often  requires  several  weeks  to 
restore  the  parts  to  a  healthy  state. 

The  treatment  consists  in  allaying  irritation,  removing  the 
dead  parts,  and  promoting  granulation.  We  first  apply  a  poul- 
tice of  carrots  ;  then,  with  a  pair  of  scissors,  remove  any  partly- 
separated  portions  of  skin  or  hoof.  The  wound  is  then  dressed 
with  Turlington's  balsam.  We  generally,  however,  first  sprinkle 
the  chasm  with  a  portion  of  finely -pulverized  myrrh :  this  sub 
stance  forms  a  coating  over  the  newly-formed  granulations,  and 
protects  them  from  injury. 

In  the  winter  season,  a  calk,  unless  attended  to  early,  often 
becomes  a  serious  affair.  During  the  past  two  years,  a  foot  dis- 
ease of  a  very  malignant  character  has  prevailed  around  Boston. 
It  sometimes  appears  without  any  apparent  cause,  except  slight 
febrile  symptoms ;  at  others,  a  calk  seems  to  be  the  exciting 
cause ;  the  disease  speedily  extends  above  the  coronet  and  with- 
in the  hoof.  It  is  a  species  of  inflammatory  gangrene,  and  is 
generally  attended  with  sympathetic  and  occasionally  typhoid 
fevers.  The  best  local  remedy  is,  a  mixture  of  pulverized  char- 
coal and  fir  balsam  ;  the  constitutional  treatment  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  case. 

Whenever  a  horse  is  calked,  the  chasm  should  be  cleansed 
and  filled  up  with  fir  balsam. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  335 


QUARTER   CtftACK.  —  (Fissure  in  the  Quarter  of  the  Hoof.) 

All  horsemen  understand  what  is  meant  by  quarter  crack.  It 
consists  of  a  loss  of  continuity  in  the  fibres  of  the  hoof,  leaving  an 
opening  through  its  substance.  It  generally  occurs  in  the  fore, 
although  often  in  the  hind  feet.  A  fissure  of  this  kind  is  not  con- 
sidered of  much  importance;  yet,  after  the  cure  has  been  effect- 
ed, there  remains  a  cicatrix,  which  is,  by  some  horse  dealers, 
looked  upon  as  an  eyesore ;  and  they  often  refuse  to  purchase  an 
otherwise  perfect  animal  solely  on  this  account. 

If  the  crack  be  only  a  simple  fissure,  and  does  not  extend  to 
the  sensitive  parts  of  the  hoof,  there  is  no  perceptible  lameness  ; 
hence,  when  such  a  fissure  is  first  observed,  it  should  be  at  once 
attended  to,  in  order  to  prevent  lameness,  which,  however,  is 
generally  slight.     For  causes  and  treatment,  see  next  article. 

TOE    CRACK.  —  (Fissure  in  the  Longitudinal  Fibres  of  the  Fore  Fart  of 
the  Hoof) 

The  hind  feet  are  generally  supposed  to  be  the  seat  of  this 
defect,  yet  it  very  frequently  occurs  in  the  fore  feet.  When  it 
occurs  in  the  hind  feet,  or  foot,  there  is  generally  considerable 
lameness  present;  and  the  subject  has  frequently  to  be  laid  up 
for  a  few  days,  or  else  perform  his  labor  with  a  hobbling  gait, 
very  distressing  to  himself  and  mortifying  to  his  driver. 

"When  the  crack  extends  from  the  coronet  down  to  the  toe, 
and  a  complete  division  of  the  horny  fibres  takes  place,  so  that 
the  sensitive  lamince  are  exposed,  a  discharge  of  small  quantities 
of  blood,  and  finally  of  matter,  takes  place.  The  subject  is  then, 
of  course,  too  lame  for  work,  and  must  have  immediate  attention. 

Causes  of  Quarter  and  Toe  Cracks.  —  The  fact  that  the  parts 
do  crack,  would  go  to  show  that  there  must  exist  some  brittle- 
ness  in  the  hoof.  This  may  arise  from  two  causes  :  first,  from  a 
want  of  healthy  action  in  the  nutritive  and  secretory  vessels  of 
the  foot ;  secondly,  from  the  common  custom  of  rasping  the  walls 
of  the  hoof,  and  otherwise  mutilating  the  foot  in  shoeing. 

Still  it  may  arise  from  contraction  of  the  parts,  from  a  narrow- 


33G  TI1E    MODERN    HOKSE    DOCTOK. 

heeled  shoe,  from  congestion  and  deep-seated  disease  within  the 
hoof.  In  short,  any  sort  of  work,  management,  or  system  of 
shoeing,  that  tends  to  dry  up  the  natural  moisture  of  the  foot, 
may  be  considered  a  direct  cause  of  contraction.  Predisposing 
causes  may  also  exist  in  breed.  It  is  well  known  that  some 
animals  are  foaled  marked  with  the  parent's  deformity  —  con- 
tracted quarters,  for  instance ;  and  such  are,  more  especially 
than  others,  liable  to  quarter  crack.  This  affords  a  reason  why 
horses,  not  predisposed,  escape  the  evils  alluded  to,  and  others 
not  enumerated;  as  in,  for  instance,  a  dry,  sandy  country,  on 
shipboard,  or  in  hot  stables  with  dry  floors. 

Mr.  Percivall  says,  that  "  greater  attention  to  shoeing  and  in- 
creased care  about  the  condition  of  the  hoof  itself  have,  no  doubt, 
had  very  beneficial  effects  in  the  prevention  both  of  contraction 
and  quarter  crack."  The  same  author  thus  alludes  to  the  causes 
of  toe  crack,  or  toe  sand  crack,  as  English  surgeons  term  it. 
"  Toe  sand  cracks  are  caused  by  violence.  Shoeing,  also,  may 
have  something  to  do  in  its  production.  The  horses,  which  are 
the  subjects  of  it,  are  those  which  are  employed  in  laborious  or 
straining  draughts.  The  toe  of  the  hind  foot  is  the  grand  ful- 
crum through  which  the  hind  limbs,  the  propellers  of  the  body, 
exert  their  power ;  and  it  is  in  some  violent  and  forcible  effort 
that  the  hind  hoof,  strained  as  it  is  to  its  uttermost,  and  particu- 
larly at  the  toe,  splits,  commonly  first  at  the  coronet ;  the  same 
as  in  the  fore  foot,  where  the  horn,  but  newly  formed,  is  thin  and 
unresisting ;  the  crack  subsequently  extending  gradually  down 
the  wall,  even  as  far  as  the  point  of  the  toe. 

*<  Digging  the  point  of  the  toe  into  the  ground,  or  stamping  it 
hard  down  upon  the  pavement,  (and  especially  when  this  stress 
upon  the  fore  part  of  the  wall  is  at  all  times  promoted  by  high 
calkins  to  the  shoe,)  must  certainly,  one  would  think,  be  the 
main  producer  of  toe  sand  crack  —  an  opinion  still  further  fa- 
vored by  the  observation  which  has  been  made  of  shaft  horses  in 
dray?,  being  more  subject  to  the  accident  than  trace  horses. 
Still,  however,  for  all  this,  it  behooves  me  to  say,  that  with  the 
best  judges  of  such  matters,  the  point  is  one  not  yet  free  from 
doubt  and  difference  of  thinking.  Short  and  upright  pasterns, 
with  clubby  prominent  hoofs,  indicate  a  predisposition   to   toe 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  337 

sand  crack  ;  the  disease  being  in  no  instance  seen  in  flat,  shelvy, 
oblique  hoofs. 

"  It  is  said  sand  cracks  may  originate  in  tread.  Undoubtedly, 
any  lesion  of  the  coronary  body  sufficient  to  injure  or  destroy  its 
secretory  apparatus,  may  occasion  imperfect  or  morbid  secretion 
of  horn,  or  loss  of  form  altogether  ;  but  I  do  not  believe  this  to 
be  a  very  common  cause  of  sand  crack." 

Treatment  of  Toe  Crack.  —  It  is  generally  customary  in  this 
part  of  the  country  to  call  in  the  aid  of  the  blacksmith  to  repair 
a  toe  crack,  which  he  does  in  the  following  manner :  if  the  fissure 
is  only  a  partial  one,  that  is,  commences  a  short  distance  below 
the  coronet,  and  only  extends  part  of  the  way  down  the  wall,  a 
red-hot  iron,  having  a  sharp  edge,  is  drawn  across  the  upper  and 
lower  parts  of  the  crack,  and  sometimes  down  the  crack  itself; 
with  a  view  of  destroying  any  morbid  matter  that  may  exist  in 
the  fissure.  A  crack  fixed  after  this  fashion  is  called  cross  firing. 
If  the  fissure  extends  from  the  coronet  right  down  to  the  toe, 
two  or  three  pieces  of  wire  are  passed  through  the  edges  of 
each  half  of  the  hoof,  through  holes  drilled  for  that  purpose, 
and  the  fissure  is  thus  riveted  together.  The  operation  requires 
some  skill  on  the  part  of  the  blacksmith ;  for  if  he  should  bore 
the  holes  too  deep,  the  sensitive  lamince  might,  be  included, 
and  thus  protract  the  cure.  Some  physicians  recommend  en- 
circling the  hoof  with  waxed  twine,  instead  of  riveting,  with  a 
view  of  restricting  any  tendency  to  expand  at  the  toe,  when,  by 
its  pressure  on  the  heels,  it  might  favor  their  contraction,  and 
therefore  cannot  be  of  much  use.  Of  the  two,  we  should  prefer 
riveting,  if  performed  by  a  skilful  workman. 

But  why  not  close  the  crack  by  interrupted  sutures,  after  the 
following  fashion  :  good  substantial  waxed  threads  answer  the 
same  purpose  as  iron  rivets,  and  are  far  preferable,  because  they 
can  be  so  easily  removed  after  having  fulfilled  their  intention. 
We  have  made  but  one  trial  of  this  kind.  The  case  turned  out 
well ;  still  a  single  experiment  is  not  sufficient  to  establish  its 
superiority  over  other  methods. 

The  best  practice  would  be,  first,  to  poultice  the  foot,  (suppos- 
ing the  shoe  to  have  been  removed,)  with  a  view  of  softening  the 
hoof  and  removing  any  extraneous  matter  that  may  have  insinu- 
29 


838  THE    MODERN    I10RSK    DOCTOR. 

ated  itself  into  the  crack.  When  the  hoof  is  sufficiently  softened, 
it  should  be  cleansed,  examined,  and  dressed  with  tincture  of 
myrrh.  Select  a  spot  about  an  inch  below  the  coronet,  and  with 
a  small  gimlet  bore  a  hole  through  the  two  edges  of  the  crack,  and 
another  one  inch  above  the  toe.  A  straight  needle,  armed  with 
a  strong  ligature,  is  to  be  passed  through  the  upper  holes, 
brought  over  and  through  a  second  time  ;  thus  closing  the  two 
edges  of  the  fissure  by  what  the  sailors  term  a  "  round  turn."  The 
same  thing  is  to  be  repeated  at  the  toe.  The  assistant,  by  the 
aid  of  pincers  or  otherwise,  shuts  the  crack  as  close  as  possible  ; 
the  ligatures  are  each  drawn  tight,  and  tied  with  a  surgeon's 
knot.  A  small  quantity  of  blister  ointment  is  to  be  smeared 
over  the  crack,  and  bar  shoe  applied.  A  quarter  crack  may  be 
treated  in  a  similar  manner,  omitting,  however,  the  sutures. 

The  cure  is  accomplished  in  two  ways  —  first,  by  fusion  ;  sec- 
ondly, by  the  growth  of  new  horn  from  the  matrix  downwards. 
After  the  edges  have  firmly  united,  cut  the  ligatures,  and 
pare  the  uneven  edges  of  the  cicatrix  level  with  the  surrounding 
parts,  and  the  cure  is  completed. 

QUITTOR. 

Quittor  is  a  fistulous  opening  running  between  the  sensible 
and  insensible  laminae  of  the  foot ;  the  opening,  or  sinus,  runs  in 
various  directions  downward  ;  at  other  times,  the  lateral  carti- 
lages are  in  connection  with  it,  and  become  diseased.  It  gen- 
erally makes  its  appearance  on  the  inside  of  the  foot,  near  the 
matrix  of  the  hoof.  In  such  case,  its  origin  is  from  bruise  or 
wound.  It  arises  also  from  pricks  in  shoeing,  gmvel,  neglected 
corns,  &c.  Should  a  nail  enter  the  sensitive  lamina?  of  the  foot, 
and  cause  suppuration,  and  the  lower  outlet  become  plugged  up, 
the  matter  moves  upward,  burrowing  through  the  tissues,  until  it 
gains  exit  above  the  hoof.  This  is  a  true  quittor.  A  disease 
of  this  character  is  often  very  difficult  to  heal,  unless  attended 
to  in  its  early  stage;  and  a  practitioner  gains  but  very  little 
credit  in  curing  such,  because  he  has  been  so  long  about  it. 
It  frequently  happens  that  we  not  only  have  the  quittor  to  con- 
tend with,  but  considerable  tumefaction  and  morbid  enlargement 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  389 

in  the  parts  above  the  hoof,  against  which  the  horse  is  apt  to 
strike  the  other  foot,  and  thus  excite  persistent  inflammation, 
leaving  a  denuded,  uneven,  sanguineous  sore,  very  difficult  to 
heal ;  for  if  the  animal  does  not  bruise  it  with  the  other  foot,  he 
lacerates  it  in  lying  down  or  getting  up.  If  we  attempt  to  pro- 
tect it  from  this  sort  of  injuries,  our  only  resource  is  bandage ; 
and  we  have  remarked,  in  another  part  of  this  work,  that  band- 
ages do  not  agree  with  horseflesh,*  when  applied  to  denuded 
surfaces ;  therefore  such  cases  require  considerable  tact  and 
patience. 

Treatment. — We  first  examine  the  sinus  by  means  of  a  small- 
sized,  flexible  bougie,  such  as  are  used  on  young  persons.  Being 
flexible,  we  are  enabled  to  trace  the  cavity,  whatever  direction  it 
may  take.  Having  discovered  that,  we  make  up  our  mind  as  to 
the  treatment.  Should  it  descend  towards  the  sole,  it  is  caused 
either  by  prick,  corn,  or  gravel,  which  can  be  ascertained  on  care- 
ful examination.  In  order  to  make  such,  we  remove  the  shoe, 
pare  the  foot,  and  perhaps  poultice  it,  with  the  double  object  of 
softening  the  hoof  and  removing  obstructions  to  the  lower  outlet, 
if  any  there  be.  Whether  the  cause  be  evident  or  not,  we  waste 
no  time  in  injecting  the  sinus,  (which  is  practised  by  many,)  but 
make  a  small  opening  in  the  sole,  as  near  the  base  of  the  sinus 
as  possible,  and  invite  a  discharge  from  it  by  means  of  a  poultice 
placed  only  in  contact  with  the  sole.  A  free  discharge  once 
secured  from  the  lower  outlet,  we  have  no  fears  of  a  cure.  So 
soon  as  a  discharge  sets  up,  inject  from  below  strong  tinc- 
ture of  bloodroot,  two  or  three  times,  and  then  sprinkle  some 
bloodroot  in  the  cavity ;  there  is  no  need  of  any  bandage  ;  let 
the  matter  have  free  vent.  The  upper  orifice  will  now  close ; 
it  is  only  necessary  to  moisten  this  region  with  compound  tinc- 
ture of  aloes,  or  some  other  traumatic. 

We  have  tried  all  manner  of  ways  to  cure  quittor,  and  find 
there  is  nothing  like  making  an  opening  below  the  sinus.  A  bad 
'case,  however,  will  generally  require  time,  and  some  variation 
in  the  treatment,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  case.  We  must 
not,  in  our  attention  to  the  foot,  overlook  the  horse ;  his  health 
must  be  attended  to ;  an  occasional  dose  of  alterative  medicine 
(sulphur  and  sassafras)  may  be  given,  and  the  common  allowance 


310  .lin;    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

of  food  should  be  lessened.  When  the  sinuses  are  superficial, 
and  do  not  extend  beyond  the  coronal  region,  injections  may 
be  tried  :  among  the  most  efficient  are  solution  of  alum,  zinc,  and 
sulphate  of  iron  ;  tincture  of  muriate  of  iron,  and  tincture  of  blood- 
root.     In  some  cases,  however,  the  knife  will  be  required. 

PUM-ICE  FOOT. 

Pumice  foot  is  an  aggravated  form  of  convex  sole,  attended 
with  a  morbid  condition  of  the  parts  and  laminal  dislocation. 
We  now  and  then  see  an  aged  animal,  which  has  long  been  the 
subject  of  chronic  disease  on  the  fore  feet,  presenting  actual  pro- 
trusion of  the  coffin  bone,  forwards,  between  the  wall  of  the  hoof 
and  sole ;  and  the  bone  is  of  a  spongy  character,  studded  with 
crystallizations,  composed  of  phosphate  of  lime,  Sec.  The  disease 
also  occurs  in  animals  that  have  led  a  sort  of  fast  life ;  that  have 
been  trained  for  the  course  ere  they  had  attained  maturity ;  pam- 
pered and  fed  on  highly  nutritious  grain,  and  driven  at  times  be- 
yond endurance,  until  a  morbid  habit  is  firmly  established,  which 
may  affect  the  feet  either  directly  or  metastatically.  The  pa- 
thology of  pumice  sole,  says  Mr.  Percivall,  amounts  to  this  :  "  In 
consequence  of  inflammation  in  them,  be  that  inflammation  acute 
or  sub-acute,  the  sensitive  lamina?,  from  causes  which  have  already 
been  detailed,  become  detached  from  their  union  with  the  horny 
laminae,  and  the  coffin  bone,  losing  its  ties  of  suspension,  is  pressed 
down  by  the  weight  upon  the  horny  sole,  which,  unable  to  bear 
the  burden  thus  unnaturally  transmitted  to  it,  bulges,  and  either 
immediately  or  some  short  time  afterwards  bursts,  and  lets  the 
toe  of  the  coffin  bone,  with  its  covering  of  sensitive  sole,  through 
its  breach.  This,  and  this  state  of  foot  alone,  it  is,  either  actually 
present  or  impending,  which  properly  constitutes  pumice  foot. 
Flat  feet,  nay,  even  convex  and  fleshy  feet,  do  not  of  themselves 
amount  to  pumice,  but,  on  the  contrary,  may  exist  independently 
of  it.  They  may  be,  and  are,  dependent  upon  altered  states  of 
the  hoof  alone ;  whereas  pumice  foot  consists  in  disorganization 
of  the  interior  economy  of  the  foot ;  in  altered  structure  and  rela- 
tive situation  of  the  parts  within  the  hoof,  and  in  partial  escape 
of  them. 


THE    MODERN    IIORSE    DOCTOR.  341 

"  Pumice  Sole  can  have  but  one  Origin.  —  Its  existence  is  de- 
monstrative proof  either  of  the  presence  or  of  the  preexistence 
of  laminitis,  in  the  acute  or  sub-acute  form.  Those  dovetailed 
and  intimate  bonds  of  union  between  the  sensitive  and  horny 
lamina?  which  hardly  any  amount  of  mechanical  force  can,  in  situ, 
rend  asunder,  gradually  lose  their  hold  under  the  action  of  in- 
flammation, and  let  the  coffin  bone  down  upon  the  horny  sole. 
This,  as  we  have  seen,  may  result  either  from  acute  or  sub-acute 
laminitis,  but  with  these  notable  differences, — that,  whereas, 
under  acute  inflammation,  pumice  foot  is  rapid,  sometimes  sudden, 
always  decided  in  its  occurrence ;  under  sub-acute  inflammation 
its  approach  is  tardy  and  stealthy,  and  for  some  time  doubtful  and 
indeterminable.  Indeed,  in  the  latter  it  often  happens  that  the 
sinking  of  the  sole  is  the  first  intimation  we  obtain  of  the  presence 
of  the  disease.  The  horse  may  have  been  observed  to  step  short 
or  gingerly,  compared  to  his  usual  style  of  going,  and  this  is 
succeeded  by  tenderness  of  tread  to  that  degree  that  continuance 
at  work  becomes  impossible ;  under  which  circumstance  we  are 
called  to  examine  his  feet,  and  to  the  surprise,  probably,  of  the 
owner,  find  the  soles  either  actually  sunk  or  showing  unmistaka- 
ble signs  of  sinking.  Pumice  sole  resulting  from  acute  laminitis 
is,  as  we  have  seen,  though  at  all  times  a  lamentable  affair,  a 
more  complicated  and  serious  one  still,  from  its  so  frequently 
having  suppuration  of  the  foot  as  an  accompaniment ;  and  when 
this  proves  to  be  the  case,  all  prospect  of  remedy  may  be  said  to 
be  at  an  end.  It  is  not  so,  however,  in  the  case  wherein  pumice 
foot  follows  a  sub-acute  or  low  kind  of  inflammation.  Here  there 
is  not  the  tendency  to  suppuration,  but  rather  to  adhesive  action  ; 
and  this  it  is  that  on  occasions  invites  us  to  take  the  case  under 
treatment,  and  now  and  then  we  succeed  in  restoring  the  integrity 
of  the  breach  and  soundness  of  the  sole.  But  this,  I  am  reluc- 
tantly forced  to  add,  is  but  a  rare  issue,  compared  with  the  states 
of  pumice  sole  which  defy  our  art  at  effecting  such  restoration  of 
them  as  will  render  the  feet  again  useful  for  work. 

"  The  Treatment  of  Pumice  Sole  —  when  the  case  happens  to 
be  of  such  a  nature  as  to  inspire  us  with  hope  through  judicious 
and  careful  management  of  it  —  obviously  presents  to  us  two  ob- 
jects for  consideration  ;  the  first  being  the  healing  of  the  wound, 
29* 


342  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

and  closing  of  the  breach  in  the  sole  to  which  it  owes  its  exist- 
ence ;  the  second,  the  elevation  of  the  coffin  bone,  and  its  adjust- 
ment, as  far  as  wc  can,  in  its  natural  position.  I  say  '  position/ 
for  as  to  forcing  up  the  bone  into  its  proper  place  again,  of  course 
that  is  a  matter  entirely  out  of  the  range  of  possibility.  When 
once  complete  separation  of  the  lamina?  has  taken  place,  no  power 
we  possess  can  restore  their  union ;  indeed,  no  means  can  be 
employed  to  effect  so  much  as  we  may  be  able  to  accomplish  to- 
wards the  raising  up  of  the  bone  before  we  have  completely 
restored  the  integrity  of  the  sole,  and  made  the  part  where  the 
breach  existed  sound  and  firm,  and  able  without  pain  to  bear 
pressure. 

"  For  the  Healing  of  the  Wound,  the  continued  application  of 
poultices  will  be  found  beneficial  so  long  as  any  annoying  inflam- 
matory action  is  lurking  about  the  foot,  and  so  long  as  the  wound 
itself  puts  on  a  healthy  aspect,  and  seems  disposed  to  granulate, 
or  actually  is  granulating.  But  whenever  such  is  not  its  charac- 
ter, and  particularly  when  its  surface  looks  pallid,  and  the  circu- 
lation through  it  appears  languid,  stimulating  and  detergent 
dressings  ought  to  be  substituted  for  the  poultices. 

"  Of  the  various  Kinds  of  Dressings  in  ordinary  use  for  the  pur- 
pose of  promoting  the  healing  of  foot  wounds,  and  their  subsequent 
coating  by  a  sound  secretion  of  horn,  none  are  found  to  answer 
well,  unless  they  be,  through  some  suitable  contrivance,  firmly 
bound  upon  the  ulcerated  surface,  so  as  to  give  as  much  pressure 
to  it  as  the  animal  can  bear.  Pressure  to  the  extent  of  produ- 
cing pain  is  injurious  ;  but  the  utmost  degree  short  of  this  is  uni- 
formly found  to  be  attended  with  the  happiest  effects.  In  short, 
without  concomitant  pressure,  the  most  extolled  dressings  will 
seldom  prove  of  much  avail.  If  the  hoof  be  cool,  and  it  is  con- 
sidered that  a  light  shoe  can  be  worn  without  hurt,  providing  it 
be  put  on  with  small  nails  driven  through  parts  of  the  crust  able 
to  bear  the  concussion  of  the  hammer  and  to  hold  such  nails,  great 
advantage  will  be  derived  from  it,  inasmuch  as  it  will  afford  very 
convenient  means  for  employing  such  pressure  as  is  found  so 
salutary  and  effectual.  This  is  to  be  managed  by  obtaining  two 
or  more  pieces  of  iron  hooping,  cut  into  lengths  to  admit  of  being 
placed  diagonally  across  the  sole,  and  of  being  confined  in  that 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


343 


situation  through  their  ends  being  driven  for  stays  between  the 
web  of  the  shoe  and  the  sole.  They  should  be  so  placed  as  to 
cross  each  other  opposite  to  the  part  where  the  dressing  is,  that 
being  previously  covered  with  as  many  thicknesses  of  tow  as 
become  requisite  for  the  necessary  pressure.  After  the  hoop- 
iron  stays  are  arranged  so  as  to  give  firm  and  steady  support  to 
the  tow  underneath  them,  they  may  be,  at  the  point  of  crossing, 
well  hammered  down  upon  the  foot ;  an  operation  which  will  serve 
to  accommodate  them  more  completely  to  their  situation,  at  the 
same  time  that  it  operates  in  giving  additional  pressure,  which 
will  be  maintained  when  the  foot  comes  to  be  set  upon  the  ground 
by  the  standing  of  the  horse  upon  the  compressed  dressing. 

"  In  regard  to  the  best  medicament  to  apply,  providing  the 
exposed  parts  of  the  sensitive  sole  be  —  as  they  commonly  are  — 
in  a  healthy  condition,  stimulating  applications  agree  best,  and 
no  one  in  the  class  exceeds  in  efficacy  the  ol.  terebinthinas. 
This,  under  the  influence  of  pressure,  will  generally  of  itself 
bring  about  all  we  desire  ;  though,  should  any  change  of  dressing 
be  deemed  desirable,  we  may  use  either  tinct.  benzoin  co., 
or  tinct.  myrrhae  co.  Should  any  signs  of  unhealthiness  or  ma- 
lignancy—  a  rare  occurrence  —  make  their  appearance,  escha- 
rotic  stimulants,  such  as  solutions  of  copper  and  zinc,  and  even  of 
mercury,  might  be  employed.  An  astringent,  such  as  solution 
of  alum,  or  a  detergent  in  the  form  of  chloride  of  lime,  may  also 
occasionally  be  required. 

"  Having  succeeded  in  healing  the  wound  and  causing  the 
breach  to  be  covered  over  with  sound  though  soft  horn,  a  dossil  of 
dry  tow  well  pressed  down  will  be  all  that  will  be  further  needed  to 
keep  the  dirt  and  wet  from  the  parts,  and  to  harden  and  prepare 
them  for  being  finally  stopped  and  protected  from  injury  when 
the  horse  shall  be  permitted  to  take  exercise  or  go  to  work.  The 
new-formed  sole  being  now  sound  and  tolerably  firm  and  hard, 
should  a  shoe  have  not  been  nailed  on  the  foot  before,  now  is  the 
time  for  one  to  be  put  on ;  and  the  shoe  best  for  such  a  descrip- 
tion of  foot  is  that  which  will,  either  of  itself  or  through  additions 
made  to  it,  enable  us  to  give  that  amount  of  pressure  upon  the 
sole  which  is  found  to  be  so  requisite  for  the  purposes  of  support 
and  uplifting  of  the  descended  coffin  bone,  to  the  extent  possible, 


344  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

into  some  proximity  to  its  original  place.  Whether  we  really 
possess  any  such  power  as  will  effect  this,  may  very  properly  be 
made  the  subject  of  doubt;  but  that  we  can,  by  pressure  and 
support  to  the  sole,  prevent  any  further  descent  of  it,  should  that 
appear  likely  to  happen,  is  beyond  a  question.  A  broad-web 
shoe  —  such  a  one  as  Plomley's  of  Maidstone  —  is  a  good  one  for 
this  purpose;  and  this  should  be  plugged  internally  with  stopping, 
intermingled  with  tow,  the  two  together  forming  a  compressible 
pillow,  upon  which  reposes  with  ease  and  firmness  the  as  yet 
tender  sole  of  the  foot.  Over  the  stopping  and  tow  should  be 
placed,  and  nailed  on  with  the  shoe,  a  stiff  piece  of  sole  leather. 
Or,  which  some  prefer,  after  the  shoe  is  nailed  on,  a  piece  of 
gutta  percha,  cut  of  smaller  size  than  the  circumference  of  the 
shoe,  may,  after  being  softened  in  hot  water,  be  kneaded  in  upon 
the  sole,  over  the  stopping,  with  the  thumb,  and  pressed  around 
the  edge  sufficiently  underneath  the  web  of  the  shoe  to  maintain 
its  hold,  "With  his  foot  thus  shod,  and  cushioned,  and  protected, 
the  horse  may  return  gradually  to  hard  work. 

"  Instead  of  the  broad-web,  heavy  shoe,  it  may  be  advisable,  in 
a  case  where  the  foot  is  thin  of  horn  and  the  crust  apt  to  break 
away,  to  substitute  a  shoe  as  light  as  it  can  be  made  consistent 
with  its  purpose.  A  shoe  made  narrow  but  thick  in  the  web  will 
sometimes  be  found  to  answer  very  well  when  used  in  conjunc- 
tion with  leather  or  gutta  percha  in  the  manner  before  directed, 
such  a  shoe  possessing  the  advantage  of  being  held  on  by  smaller 
and  fewer  nails  than  the  broad  shoe  requires.  And  when- 
ever we  meet  with  a  foot  of  such  description,  with  thin  and  weak 
or  brittle  crust,  we  are  not  to  be  particular  as  to  either  the  num- 
ber of  the  nails  used  to  keep  the  shoe  on,  or  the  situations  they 
occupy  through  the  hoof;  for  sometimes  it  becomes  necessary  to 
nail  the  shoe  all  round  in  order  to  fix  it  firmly  for  work,  and  to 
make  use,  for  the  purpose,  of  double  or  even  of  triple  the  number 
of  (small)  nails  we  ordinarily  insert.  In  fact,  if  the  horse  is  to 
go  to  work  in  it,  the  shoe  must  be  secured  at  any  multiplicity 
and  variety  of  nailing,  and  clipping  in  addition,  save  that  of  doing 
positive  injury  to  the  foot." 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  345 


FOOT  ROT. 


A  disease  to  which  some  have  given  the  above  name  made 
its  appearance  in  the  city  of  Boston  in  the  winter  of  1853, 
and  is  at  the  present  time  prevailing  in  different  parts  of  the 
state.  It  appears  to  spread  after  the  manner  of  sporadic  dis- 
eases, and  prevails  chiefly  among  horses  of  coarse  breed,  with 
clumsy  feet,  brought  on  in  some  cases  by  "  hard  usage  and  sore 
abuse."  The  disease  luxuriates  in  stables  that  are  filthy,  damp, 
and  unventilated,  and  among  horses  that  are  constantly  exposed 
to  all  sorts  of  weather ;  for  it  is  seldom  that  we  hear  any  thing 
of  the  disease  prevailing  in  horses  of  superior  breed,  located  in 
comfortable  stables,  where  they  are  supposed  to  have  that  care 
and  attention  so  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  health  ;  yet, 
however  potent  the  above  causes  may  be,  they  are  not  in  all 
cases  direct,  but  merely  approximating.  It  has  been  observed 
that  this  peculiar  disease  often  follows  injuries  of  the  foot  by 
calking —  from  puncture  by  nail  or  otherwise.  Here  we  seem  to 
have  a  direct  cause,  which  may  be  termed  special ;  for  such  en- 
gender distinct  disease.  From  the  fact,  however,  that  the  disease 
is  not  prevalent  in  the  summer  months,  we  are  led  to  infer  that 
the  combinations  of  cold,  moisture,  and  bad  management  are 
more  prolific  of  it  than  any  other  cause.  The  term  foot  rot  does 
not  convey  any  definite  idea  of  the  nature  of  the  affection,  but 
merely  implies  a  state  of  rottenness,  similar  to  that  occurring  in 
sheep  and  cattle ;  whereas  this  disease  varies,  and  often  passes 
through  several  stages  ere  rottenness  (gangrene)  sets  in.  Some 
subjects  are  attacked  suddenly  with  disease  of  the  plantar  ab- 
sorbents —  deep-seated  lymphatitis.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days 
—  sometimes  hours  —  a  profuse  discharge  of  matter,  resembling 
lymph,  from  the  coronet  takes  place,  and  inflammatory  gangrene 
supervenes.  Or  a  horse  will  all  at  once  be  seized  with  lame- 
ness, continually  catching  up  the  foot,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few 
hours  pus  is  seen  to  ooze  from  the  orifice.  Here  we  have  two 
stages  of  a  disease  which  may  progress  to  rot  or  gangrene,  viz., 
inflammatory,  characterized  by  heat,  pain,  and  lameness  ;  sup- 
purative, of  which  the  discharge  of  pus  is  proof  positive.     The 


34G  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

finale  is  a  gangrenous  state,  characterized  by  transformations  and 
d.ath  of  the  tissues  of  the  foot.  The  name  of  this  disease 
should,  therefore,  be  conferred  in  accordance  with  the  notable 
changes  that  occur  throughout  its  progress  :  they  are  inflamma- 
tion, suppuration,  gangrene;  and  it  often  happens  that  the  abnor- 
mal process  is  arrested  in  either  one  or  the  other  of  the  first 
stages,  although  it  is  prone  to  run  into  gangrenes.  These  char- 
acteristic symptoms  furnish  a  title  for  the  disease;  and  should 
death  supervene,  whether  in  the  inflammatory,  suppurative,  or 
putrid  stages,  the  name  of  the  disease  will  be  that  of  the  cause 
of  death  ;  so  that  foot  rot  —  if  it  imply  a  rotten,  putrid,  or  gan- 
grenous state  —  should  be  termed  inflammatory  gangrene,  which 
is  produced  by  extravasated  blood,  or  rather  fluids,  they  rapidly 
passing  into  a  state  of  decomposition,  thus  destroying  the  vitality 
of  those  tissues  —  the  lamina?  of  the  foot  —  so  that  the  hoof  fre- 
quently separates  from  its  attachments  and  falls  off. 

Case.  —  A  horse,  the  property  of  Mr.  Doolittle,  doing  business 
in  Ivers  Street,  was  punctured  by  picking  up  a  nail ;  it  entered 
the  sole  midway  between  the  point  of  the  frog  and  the  toe  of  the 
off  hind  foot :  it  was  dressed  in  the  usual  manner  by  a  black- 
smith. On  the  following  day  the  author  was  requested  to  see 
the  animal.  He  was  found  standing  on  three  legs ;  the  affected 
limb  drawn  up  towards  the  body ;  the  foot  very  hot  and  painful ; 
the  flank  on  that  side  bedewed  with  perspiration  ;  pulse  quick  and 
jerking  ;  mouth  hot  and  clammy  :  in  short,  sympathetic  fever  had 
set  in.  On  removing  the  shoe  and  dressings,  a  small  quantity 
of  pus  streaked  with  blood  oozed  out  of  the  puncture,  on  dilating 
which  with  a  drawing  knife,  a  very  profuse  discharge  followed. 
Two  or  three  poultices,  of  an  antiseptic  and  astringent  charac- 
ter, were  applied.  Chloride  of  soda,  salt  and  vinegar,  fir  bal- 
sam, solution  of  alum,  zinc,  and  such  constitutional  remedies  as 
the  case  seemed  to  require,  were  resorted  to ;  but  all  to  no  pur- 
pose :  the  horse  grew  rapidly  worse  ;  a  thin,  aqueous,  and  acrid 
discharge  from  the  quarters  and  coronet  took  place,  which  finally 
separated  the  hoof*  from  its  matrix:  the  discharge  degenerated 
until  it  became  of  a  dark  reddish  color,  very  offensive.  The 
tissues  above  the  hoof  underwent  cellular  transformations,  and 
bulged  out  about  an  inch  or  more  beyond  their  ordinary  limits, 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  347 

having  here  and  there  deep  gangrenous  ulcerations.  Thus  did 
the  disease  progress  (apparently  unchecked  by  medical  treatment, 
which  had  often  proved  successful)  until  the  eleventh  day  from 
the  time  of  the  injury,  when,  on  making  an  effort  to  get  up,  a 
complete  separation  of  hoof  from  foot  took  place.  Mr.  D.  im- 
mediately ordered  the  animal  to  be  put  out  of  his  misery,  and 
he  was  accordingly  destroyed.  This  disease  we  have  termed 
inflammatory  gangrene  ;  and  although  it  rarely  runs  so  rapid  a 
course,  or  attains  so  malignant  a  type,  it  is  the  one  commonly 
known  as  foot  rot. 

Ordinarily,  and  in  other  than  the  cold  season,  puncture  of  the 
foot,  by  nail  or  otherwise,  is  followed  by  healthy  suppuration 
and  discharge,  and  the  parts  resume  very  nearly  their  original 
condition ;  but  in  the  case  just  alluded  to,  the  suppuration  was 
from  the  first  unhealthy,  and  attended  with  a  positive  loss  of 
laminal  continuity,  ulceration,  and  gangrene. 

Treatment.  —  It  is  useless  to  lay  down  any  particular  plan  of 
treatment,  for  that  must  depend  on  the  nature,  stage,  and  inten- 
sity of  the  disease.     The  principal  local  remedies  are,  — 

1.  Antiseptics.  —  Pyroligneous  acid,  charcoal,  chloride  of  soda, 
and  lime. 

2.  Astringents.  —  Tincture  of  muriate  of  iron,  sulphate  of  zinc 
and  of  iron,  bayberry  bark,  gum  catechu. 

3.  Remedies  to  relieve  Pain.  —  Chloroform,  sulphuric  ether, 
tincture  of  Indian  hemp,  infusion  of  hops  or  poppy  heads. 

4.  Constitutional  Remedies.  —  Tonics  and  alteratives.  (See 
Medicinal  Preparations.)  In  cases  that  indicate  poultices,  substi- 
tute fir  balsam. 

CORNS. 

Corns  generally  make  their  appearance  in  the  inner  heel, 
within  the  bar  and  crust,  at  or  near  their  junction.  We  find 
that  a  great  number  of  horses  are  afflicted  in  this  way ;  and  it  is 
supposed  that  an  imperfect  system  of  shoeing  has  more  to  do 
with  the  production  of  corn  than  any  thing  else.  The  following 
article  from  White's  Dictionary  may  possibly  furnish  the  reader 
a  better  idea  of  the  nature  and  treatment  of  corns  than  the  au- 
thor of  this  work  can  give :  — 


348  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

u  In  their  recent  state  corns  generally  cause  some  degree  of 
tenderness,  though  not  amounting  to  actual  lameness.  If  not 
attended  to  at  this  period,  the  horse  soon  becomes  lame ;  and 
when  the  shoe  is  removed  for  examination,  the  horny  matter  in 
the  part  described  will  be  found,  upon  scraping  off  the  exterior 
surface,  of  a  dark-red  color,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  accord- 
ing to  the  length  of  time  it  has  existed,  or  rather  to  the  degree 
of  injury  the  sensible  parts  have  sustained.  If  the  shoe  be  not 
removed  at  this  stage  of  the  disease,  which  sometimes  happens 
from  a  supposition  that  the  lameness  arises  from  some  other 
cause,  its  continued  pressure  on  the  tender  part,  or  corn,  will  at 
length  cause  matter  to  form,  which,  finding  no  vent  beneath,  as- 
cends to  the  coronet,  where  it  breaks  out.  Even  this  is  sometimes, 
mistaken  for  a  tread,  or  blow  from  the  other  foot,  while  the  real 
cause  is  lost  sight  of.  In  the  treatment  of  corns  in  their  recent 
state,  or  before  suppuration  has  taken  place,  the  method  gener- 
ally adopted  is  to  pare  out  the  red  part,  or  what  is  termed  the 
corn,  and  so  contrive  the  shoe  that,  when  applied  to  the  foot,  it 
may  have  no  bearing  on  the  tender  part.  This,  in  slight  cases, 
generally  affords  temporary  relief,  and  enables  the  horse  to  go 
to  work  again :  in  a  short  time,  however,  the  horse's  weight 
causes  the  shoe  again  to  rest  upon  the  heel,  and  the  inflamma- 
tion and  lameness  of  course  return.  The  only  effectual  mode  of 
taking  off  pressure  from  the  heel  is  by  means  of  the  bar  shoe  ; 
and  this  can  only  be  applied  where  the  frog  is  sufficiently  promi- 
nent and  firm  to  receive  its  pressure.  For  should  the  frog  be 
considerably  lower  than  the  heels,  (that  is,  supposing  the  foot  to 
be  taken  up,  and  its  bottom  part  held  upward,)  it  must  be  obvi- 
ous that  the  bar  shoe  cannot  bear  upon  it,  and  will  therefore  be 
useless.  The  only  thing  to  be  done  in  this  case  is  to  pare  away 
the  crust  of  the  tender  heel,  so  that  the  heel  of  a  common  shoe 
may  not  rest  upon  it.  I  am  aware  that  the  original  cause  of 
corns  is  often  a  natural  weakness  of  the  inner  heel,  or  a  want  of 
sufficient  strength  in  the  horn  to  protect  the  sensible  parts  from 
the  pressure  of  the  shoe.  It  is  from  this  consideration,  perhaps, 
that  Mr.  Budd  observes,  'We  have  frequently  seen  the  plan  of 
cutting  away  the  horn  (in  corns)  followed  with  avidity,  on  ac- 
count of  the  temporary  relief  it  affords  ;  such  a  plan,  however, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  349 

is  deceitful,  and  dictated  by  too  shallow  an  idea  of  the  complaint; 
for  though  it  gives  time  for  the  removal  of  it  when  existing,  still 
it  leaves  what  may  be  termed  an  increased  disposition  to  ft,  be- 
cause it  deprives  the  sensitive  parts  of  the  protection  of  which 
they  already  stood  too  much  in  need ;  and  we  have  no  hesitation 
in  saying,  that  it  is  from  this  mode  of  treatment  solely  that  some 
horses  are  so  frequently  and  indeed  almost  constantly  affected. 
The  best  plan,  therefore,  which  can  be  followed,  is  to  apply  a  bar 
shoe,  as  this  affords  more  ample  means  of  throwing  the  pressure 
off  the  affected  parts  ;  no  excision  of  the  horn,  we  repeat,  ought 
to  be  resorted  to,  unless  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  suppura- 
tion has  taken  place.'  If  no  horn  is  to  be  pared  away  in  corns, 
what,  I  would  ask,  is  to  be  done  in  circumstances  where  the  bar 
shoe  cannot  be  employed  ?  that  is,  where  the  frog  is  much  lower 
than  the  heels,  or  too  rotten  and  tender  to  bear  pressure.  Mr. 
"Budd  tells  us  that  the  shoe  is  to  be  'laid  off  the  part;'  that  is, 
the  shoe  is  to  be  so  formed,  that  when  applied  to  the  foot  it  may 
not  be  in  contact  with  the  tender  heel :  this  may  afford  temporary 
relief,  but  by  one  day's  work  the  shoe  will  be  brought  to  its  origi- 
nal form.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  corns  are  often  rendered 
inveterate  by  trusting  to  such  ineffectual  means  ;  for  the  propri- 
etor, finding  his  horse  relieved,  sets  off  perhaps  on  a  journey ; 
the  shoe  soon  bears  down  upon  the  heel  again,  and  the  bruise  or 
corn  is  much  aggravated  ;  by  dint  of  spur  and  whip,  however, 
the  horse  is  compelled  to  go  on  ;  and  when  he  arrives  at  the  end 
of  the  stage,  so  high  a  degree  of  inflammation  will  perhaps  have 
taken  place  that  suppuration  cannot  be  prevented.  The  only 
mode,  I  conceive,  by  which  a  corn  can  be  either  cured  or  palli- 
ated, is  to  take  off  all  pressure  from  the  diseased  parts  ;  and  this 
not  only  for  a  short  time,  but  till  the  injured  sensible  part  has 
lost  its  tenderness,  and  formed  horn  of  sufficient  strength  to  en- 
able it  to  bear  pressure.  While  a  horse  is  worked,  the  shoe 
should  be  frequently  examined ;  and  whenever  the  heel  appears 
to  be  so  near  the  diseased  part  as  to  be  in  danger  of  bearing  on 
it,  it  should  be  immediately  removed,  and  some  more  horn  pared 
away,  so  as  to  have  a  considerable  vacancy  between  the  heel 
of  the  hoof  and  the  heel  of  the  shoe  ;  for  even  if  a  bar  shoe  is 
applied,  the  horn  will  in  time  grow  down,  so  as  to  be  in  contact 
30 


350  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

with  the  heel  of  the  shoe.  When  a  horse  becomes  very  lame 
from  a  corn,  it  will  be  advisable  to  leave  off  the  shoe  for  a  short 
time,  and  apply  a  large  bran  poultke.  When  tenderness  is  per- 
ceived about  the  coronet,  and  a  little  matter  is  seen  oozing  out 
from  the  horn  at  the  heel,  it  should  be  pared  away,  that  the  mat- 
ter may  escape  freely.  The  exposed  part  may  be  dressed  at 
first  with  a  solution  of  blue  or  white  vitriol ;  afterwards  with 
tincture  of  myrrh,  or  friar's  balsam." 

BRUISE   OF  THE   SOLE. 

Horses,  in  travelling  over  hard,  uneven  roads,  are  very  apt  to 
cast  a  shoe.  The  sole  then,  being  unprotected,  becomes  bruised, 
and  by  the  time  the  horse  has  arrived  at  home,  or  at  the  nearest 
smith's,  he  is  quite  lame.  On  making  an  examination  of  the  foot, 
it  will  be  found  hot  and  painful.  The  best  remedies,  in  view  of 
immediate  relief,  are  rest  and  cold  water.  The  latter  may  be 
applied  by  means  of  a  piece  of  flannel,  tied  fringe-like,  but  loose, 
around  the  fetlock,  and  kept  constantly  wet.  It  is  probable  that, 
in  cold  weather,  rest  alone  will  perform  a  cure ;  if  it  should  not, 
immerse  the  foot  in  tepid  water  twice  a  day. 

THRUSH. 

Thrush,  or,  as  some  call  it,  frush,  is  a  disease  of  the  horse's 
hoof  very  prevalent  in  the  United  States ;  it  is  a  disease  so  well 
known  among  horsemen  that  any  description  of  it  seems  super- 
fluous. Its  diagnostic  symptoms  are,  foetid  odor,  and  morbid 
exudation  from  the  frog,  accompanied  with  softening  of  the  same. 
For  a  common  thrush,  which  does  not  occasion  lameness,  the 
remedy  is  cleanliness  :  let  the  feet  be  washed  night  and  morning, 
and  occasionally  immersed  in  salt  and  water ;  the  trouble  will  then 
disappear.  In  inveterate  cases  of  this  kind,  our  object  must  be  to 
prevent  decomposition  —  in  the  use  of  antiseptics:  a  charcoal 
poultice  now  and  then,  and  the  free  use  of  pyroligneous  acid,  and 
salt,  are  the  best  means.  A  few  doses  of  the  following  compo- 
sition will  also  be  needed :  sassafras,  sulphur,  salt,  and  charcoal, 
equal  parts.     Dose,  one  ounce  daily.     A  dressing  of  fir  balsam 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  351 

may  be  applied  to  the  frog  and  sole,  which  is  to  be  confined  there 
in  the  usual  manner.  Thrush  is  often  the  result  of  morbid  habit 
in  the  system  of  the  horse,  giving  rise  to  an  excess  of  morbific 
products,  which  naturally  gravitate  to  the  feet,  and  there  find  an 
outlet ;  therefore  we  should  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry  to  stop 
such  issue,  for  by  so  doing,  the  matter  may  be  reabsorbed,  ana 
produce  sympathetic  fever,  swollen  legs,  &c.  The  safest  way, 
therefore,  is  to  treat  the  disease  both  locally  and  constitutionally. 


ACUTE   INFLAMMATION    OF  THE   FEET.  —  {Laminitis.) 

Acute  inflammation  of  the  feet  differs  very  little  in  its  physical 
phenomena  from  inflammation  in  other  parts  of  the  system,  ex- 
cept in  the  former  it  appears  more  complete  and  permanent.  Of 
the  agents  which  produce  laminitis,  which  cause  more  blood  to 
flow  into  the  vessels  of  the  foot,  which  regulate  their  enlargement 
or  constriction,  and  finally  induce  effusion  of  serum,  lymph,  or 
fibrin,  and  produce  alterations  in  the  structure  of  the  foot,  much 
has  been  conjectured,  yet  very  little  is  known.  It  may  be  safe 
for  us  to  argue,  however,  that  the  same  causes  that  operate  in 
producing  inflammatory  action  in  other  parts  are  all-sufficient  in 
laminitis.  In  acute  laminitis  we  have  an  afflux  of  blood,  from 
which  arises  that  feverish  heat  known  as  fever  in  the  foot :  the 
development  of  heat  being  directly  proportioned  to  the  activity 
and  fulness  of  the  circulation  —  heat  is  accompanied  with  redness 
and  pain  ;  increased  pulsation  in  arteries  leading  to  the  foot :  this 
increased  pulsation  seems  due  to  obstruction  in  channels  through 
which  blood  usually  circulates  with  freedom,  while  the  same  or 
even  an  augmented  force  continues  to  impel  it.  "We  next  observe 
effusion  of  serum,  lymph,  and  fibrin ;  though  we  repeat  that 
laminitis  does  not  differ  from  inflammation  in  some  other  parts. 
The  varieties  of  laminitis  are  acute  and  subacute ;  the  former 
follows  excessive  work :  in  such  cases  the  system  becomes  ex- 
hausted ;  then  follows  local  increase  of  blood  in  consequence  of 
weakness  in  the  propelling  forces  —  lungs,  heart,  and  capillaries. 
When  acute  laminitis  follows  a  long  drive  on  hard  ground  or 
pavement,  or  violence  of  any  sort,  including  long-continued  paw- 
ing or  stamping,  the  blood  is  determined  to  the  feet  by  a  high  and 


.352  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

permanent  grade  of  vital  action ;  which  is  apt  to  end  in  change 
of  structure.  The  acute  form  is  invariably  attended  with  sympto- 
matic phenomena,  so  that  the  patient  exhibits  all  the  symptoms 
of  a  high  fever,  attended  with  intense  agony  and  disturbance  of 
the  normal  functions.  On  the  other  hand  subacute  laminitis  is 
not  so  intense  nor  dangerous,  and  it  differs  somewhat  in  its  mode 
of  attack  ;  it  has  occasionally  a  metastatic  origin  —  that  is,  when 
disease  is  transferred  to  a  new  seat.  For  example,  a  horse  suf- 
fering from  pneumonia  may  be  suddenly  relieved  on  the  super- 
vention of  laminitis ;  the  disease  abandons  the  interior,  and  assails 
the  extremities.  The  translation  of  disease  in  this  way  may  some- 
times be  considered  salutary.  Thus,  if  such  change  occur  in  the 
system  of  a  horse  not  enfeebled  by  age  or  disease,  strong  hopes 
of  recovery  may  be  entertained;  otherwise  the  subject  is  no  better 
off;  for  it  frequently  leaves  him  in  that  deplorable  and  utterly 
ruined  condition  denominated  founder. 

Causes  of  Laminitis.  —  We  have  already  hinted  at  some  of 
them,  yet  the  reader  must  remember  that  the  same  agency  may 
at  one  time  only  create  a  predisposition,  and  at  another  directly 
excite  the  disease.  Predisposing  causes  are  those  which  produce 
in  the  system  certain  changes  which  prepare  it  for  the  develop- 
ment of  disease  ;  they  are  slow  and  gradual  in  their  operation, 
not  cognizable  at  all  times.  This  is  the  incubative  stage  of  dis- 
ease. Exciting  causes  are  those  from  which  diseases  seem  to 
have  a  direct  origin,  as  in  metastasis,  for  example ;  still  it  is  very 
difficult,  therefore,  to  decide  where  the  first  ends,  and  the  latter 
commences.  The  opinion  of  scientific  men  must,  however,  be  our 
guide.  Mr.  John  Field  gives  the  following  account  of  the  causes 
and  symptoms  of  laminitis  :  — 

"  This  disease  may  be  occasioned  either  by  severe  work  on  dry, 
hard  roads,  or  by  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  &c,  whereby,  in  the 
former  instance,  it  arises  from  excessive  friction  between  the 
sensible  and  horny  laminae,  while  in  the  latter,  from  the  animal 
constantly  standing,  an  undue  and  continued  stress  is  laid  upon 
that  part.  The  symptoms  are,  a  hard,  strong,  and  frequent  pulse  ; 
the  animal  expresses  great  pain,  and  blood  sometimes  oozes  from 
the  coronet,  attended  with  a  sinking  of  the  coronary  ligament. 
If  the  fore  feet  are  affected,  he  extends  them  forward,  and  brings 


THE   MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR.  353 

his  hind  legs  under  his  body,  to  support  the  weight.  If  the  disease 
is  in  the  hind  legs,  he  stands  on  his  toes,  bringing  his  fore  legs  to  the 
centre  of  gravity.  This  complaint  is  accompanied  with  great  heat 
round  the  feet,  accelerated  respiration,  and  sometimes  sweating. 

"  Should  the  symptoms  continue,  there  is  an  effusion  of  coagu- 
lated lymph  or  blood  between  the  sensible  and  the  horny  lamina?, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  coffin  bone  descends  upon  the  sensi- 
ble and  horny  sole,  the  sole  becomes  convex,  and  the  front  of  the 
hoof  is  depressed  in  the  centre,  or  rendered  more  oblique." 

ISText  to  over-exertion  and  concussion  on  hard  pavements,  the 
drinking  of  cold  water  when  the  animal  is  heated  is  the  next 
cause  assigned.  It  is  well  known  to  horsemen,  that  founder  often 
sets  in  from  the  latter  cause,  and  also  after  a  hard  drive  followed 
by  a  full  meal ;  and  what  is  founder  but  an  aggravated  case  of 
laminitis  ? 

Treatment  of  Laminitis.  —  We  have  tried  various  kinds  of 
remedies  for  this  affection,  but  never  found  any  thing  equal  to 
packing,  after  the  fashion  of  hydropathy.  The  feet  are  to  be  en- 
closed in  bandages  saturated  with  a  weak  mixture  of  arnica  — 
eight  ounces  of  tincture  of  arnica  to  one  gallon  of  water ;  the 
bandages  are  to  be  about  five  yards  in  length  and  four  inches 
broad.  Before  applying  the  bandage,  have  the  shoes  carefully 
removed,  cleanse  the  feet  with  soft  soap  and  water,  and  adapt  to 
each  a  piece  of  flat  sponge  just  the  size  of  the  sole.  This  answers 
the  purpose  of  a  soft  cushion  for  the  horse  to  stand  on,  and  at  the 
same  time  keeps  the  sole  moist.  Having  now  applied  the  bandage, 
and  secured  it  with  tape,  nothing  further  is  needed  but  to  keep 
the  parts  moist  for  several  days,  readjusting  the  bandage,  how- 
ever, if  it  should  become  loose.  The  constitutional  treatment 
depends  upon  circumstances :  it  may  be  proper  in  all  cases  to 
keep  the  patient  on  thin  gruel,  scalded  mashes,  and  boiled  roots, 
and  to  give  an  occasional  dose  of  sulphur  and  cream  of  tartar. 
Should  the  patient  evince  signs  of  much  agony,  give  a  few 
drenches  of  infusion  of  hops  or  poppy  heads.  High  inflammatory 
symptoms  are  to  met  with  arnica ;  dose,  twenty  drops  of  the  tinc- 
ture every  six  hours,  to  be  given  in  clear  water ;  this  the  animal 
will  generally  drink.  Should  thirst  prevail,  the  drink  must  be 
acidulated  with  cream  of  tartar,  or  a  few  drops  of  acetic  acid. 
30* 


354  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

CONTRACTION   OF  THE   HOOF.  —  {Hoof  Bound.) 

Some  of  the  causes  of  contraction  have  already  been  alluded  to. 
(See  Quarter  Crack.)  The  prevalent  custom  of  cutting  away  the 
bars  —  which  ordinarily  support  the  heels,  and  prevent  their  ap- 
proximation—  may  be  considered,  among  others,  as  directly  op- 
erative in  producing  this  deformity,  which,  in  some  cases,  may  be 
considered  in  the  light  of  local  atrophy  —  diminished  nutrition. 
Diminished  nutrition  generally  results  from  disorder  in  the  diges- 
tive organs,  so  that  contraction  of  the  hoof  and  indigestion  may 
coexist ;  although  many  physicians  deny  the  coexistence  of  dis- 
ease. Contraction  of  this  kind  is  not  apt  to  occasion  lameness, 
because  there  is  a  very  low  grade  of  vital  action  in  the  parts. 
But  contraction  is  now  and  then  the  result  of  deep-seated  disease 
within  the  hoof — navicularthritis  and  laminitis,  for  example; 
the  animal  is  then  dead  lame  while  the  inflammatory  diathesis 
lasts. 

Treatment.  —  Contraction  associated  with  inflammatory  action 
of  the  tissues  or  cartilages  of  the  foot  must  be  treated  in  the  same 
manner  as  recommended  for  laminitis :  in  all  cases  we  must 
endeavor  to  give  the  frog  a  bearing  on  the  ground ;  and  in  order 
to  do  this  the  shoe  ought  to  be  removed.  A  dry,  brittle,  and  con- 
tracted hoof  may  be  improved  by  repeated  poulticing  with  soft 
soap  and  rye  meal,  applied  cold.  So  soon  as  the  hoof  softens,  let 
it  be  dressed,  night  and  morning,  with  turpentine,  linseed  oil,  and 
powdered  charcoal,  equal  parts.  Yet,  after  all,  a  run  at  grass  in 
a  soft  pasture,  the  animal  having  nothing  more  than  tips  on  his 
feet,  is  the  best  treatment.  A  very  popular  notion  exists,  that 
cow  manure  has  a  wonderful  effect  on  a  contracted  hoof;  but  it  is 
the  candid  opinion  of  the  author,  and  no  doubt  the  reader  will 
coincide,  that  filth  and  dirt  of  every  kind  are  unfavorable  to 
healthy  action.  Such  remedy,  aside  from  its  objection  on  the 
score  of  decency,  savors  too  much  of  by-gone  days,  when  live  eels 
were  sent  on  an  errand  down  horse's  throats  to  unravel  their 
intestines.  If  any  benefit  belongs  to  such  an  objectionable  appli- 
cation, it  is  due  to  the  property  it  possesses  of  retaining  moisture; 
therefore  cold  poultices  and  water  are  far  superior.  Clay  and 
moist  earth,  placed  in  the  stall  for  the  horse  to  stand  on,  are  far 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  355 

inferior  to  a  stuffing  of  wet  oakum,  which  can  be  removed  at 
pleasure.  In  order  to  keep  it  in  contact  with  the  sole,  we  have 
only  to  insinuate  two  strips  of  wood  between  the  sole  and  shoe ; 
one  running  lengthwise  and  the  other  crosswise  of  the  foot.  It 
affords  considerable  pressure  to  the  foot,  is  cooling  and  cleanly, 
and  is  far  superior  to  the  above  articles. 

CANKER  OF  THE  FOOT. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  intractable  diseases  with  which  the 
veterinary  surgeon  has  to  contend.  It  is  a  disease  somewhat 
analogous  to  cancer  in  the  human  subject.  A  true  cancer,  how- 
ever, is  supposed  to  have  its  origin  in  remote  parts ;  hence  the 
great  difficulty  in  curing  it.  Dr.  Carpenter  teaches  that  "  can- 
cerous growths  possess  a  remarkable  analogy  with  the  parasitic 
fungi,  which  develop  themselves  in  the  interior  of  vegetable  and 
even  animal  structures  ;  and  the  supposition  long  ago  entertained, 
that  cancer  might  be  regarded  as  an  independent  growth  of  cor- 
responding nature,  does  not  now  appear  so  extravagant  as  it  was 
at  one  time  considered.  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  a  can- 
cerous tumor  of  any  size  may  be  developed  from  a  single  cell ; 
and  it  is  probable  that  the  origin  of  such  growths  in  parts  distant 
from  their  primary  centre  is  to  be  traced  to  the  conveyance  of 
cancer  cells,  or  of  their  germs  by  the  circulating  current ;  so  that 
it  seems  very  difficult  to  draw  a  line  wdiich  shall  separate  such  in- 
dependent growths  on  the  one  hand  from  the  ordinary  tissues  of 
the  body,  and  on  the  other  from  structures  really  parasitic.  It  i? 
interesting  to  remark,  that  blood  vessels  cannot  be  traced  in  these 
productions  at  an  early  period  of  their  formation,  but  that  they 
make  their  appearance,  as  in  the  normal  development  of  the  tis- 
sues, at  a  later  date."  We  consider  canker  in  the  horse  to  be  ac 
abnormal  development  of  the  ordinary  tissues  of  the  foot ;  for  were 
it  otherwise,  we  should  never  be  able  to  cure  it.  If,  however,  it 
appear  in  other  parts  of  the  body,  which  is  a  rare  occurrence, 
and  assume  a  malignant  aspect,  it  may  be  defined  as  true  cancer. 
A  common  antecedent  of  canker  is  thrush  ;  its  seat  is  the  hind 
feet,  occurring  in  horses  of  coarse  breed,  with  ill-shaped  hoofs., 
and  diseased  frogs,  that  always  emit  a  fetid  odor.     In  such  a^walsi 


356  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

there  seems  to  exist  a  peculiar  diathesis  favorable  to  the  produc- 
tion of  canker,  which,  on  the  occurrence  of  a  simple  injury  to  the 
foot  by  the  accidental  introduction  of  a  nail,  or  from  any  other 
exciting  cause,  is  immediately  followed  by  an  extraordinary  mor- 
bid growth. 

Treatment.*  —  Our  first  business  is  to  remove  the  shoe,  and 
cleanse  the  foot  with  a  weak  solution  of  chloride  of  soda ;  the 
principal  part  of  the  morbid  growth  is  then  to  be  dissected  off; 
if  any  hemorrhage  follows,  it  can  be  arrested  with  pledgets  of  lint 
saturated  with  tincture  of  muriate  of  iron,  or  any  other  styptic ; 
we  next  sprinkle  the  whole  surface  with  powdered  bloodroot,  — 
sanguinaria  canadensis,  —  then  apply  a  dressing  of  strong  pyro- 
lignebus  acid,  and  by  means  of  pledgets  and  bandages,  keep  a  con- 
tinued pressure  on  the  parts.  The  foot  must  be  dressed  in  this 
manner  for  several  days,  occasionally  washing  it  with  a  solution 
of  alum,  sulphate  of  zinc,  or  some  vegetable  astringent  —  infusion 
of  oak  or  bayberry  bark.  Should  these  remedies  fail,  we  recom- 
mend the  following  :  Take  a  saturated  solution  of  common 
potass,  into  which  stir  a  sufficient  quantity  of  finely-pulverized 
oatmeal,  to  form  a  stiff  paste ;  apply  this  to  any  fungous  growth, 
and  it  will  disappear  in  a  very  short  time.  This  dressing  should 
be  followed  by  one  composed  of  linseed  oil  and  lime  water,  equal 
parts. 

*  M.  Fischer  recommends  unslaked  lime  in  preference  to  slaked ;  his  reasons 
are,  "  The  latter  becomes  with  water  more  unctuous,  it  adheres  better,  and 
causes  thicker  crusts  or  sloughs,  which  more  readily  become  detached.  I  pro- 
cure lime  as  pure  as  I  can,  and  make  it  into  a  paste  with  water,  immediately 
before  application,  in  order  that  it  may,  in  that  form,  reach  the  sinuses  of  the 
foot,  after  having  sprinkled  over  the  cankerous  surfaces  pure  chloride  of  lime, 
or  else  that  mixed  with  pulverized  tan,  according  to  circumstances.  In  cases 
where  the  calcined  calcareous  stone  refuses  readily  to  absorb  the  water,  or  does 
not  slake,  I  obviate,  in  some  measure,  this  inconvenience  by  making  use  of 
boiling  water. 

"  First  of  all,  I  confine  the  paste  upon  the  foot  with  a  piece  of  linen,  before 
I  enclose  the  foot  in  a  boot;  otherwise  the  latter  would  speedily  become  de- 
stroyed by  the  caustic.  At  every  fresh  dressing,  i.  e.  daily,  the  linen  is  cal- 
cined, as  it  were,  by  the  lime,  so  that  at  each  dressing  fresh  linen  is  called 
for."  —  Translations  from  the  French,  by  Percivall. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  357 


CUTTING.  —  {Interfering.) 

Horses  are  said  to  cut,  or  interfere,  when  they  strike  the  inner 
side  of  the  fetlock  joint  with  the  hoof  or  shoe  of  the  opposite 
foot.  It  generally  arises  either  from  an  unnatural  curvature  in- 
wards of  the  limbs,  twisting  in  of  the  toe,  from  shelving  of  the 
hoof,  and  from  errors  in  shoeing.  It  may  also  arise  in  conse- 
quence of  weakness  and  fatigue,  during  a  long  journey  over 
heavy  and  uneven  roads ;  the  subject  is  apt,  also,  at  such  times,  — 
especially  when  the  toe  has  a  faulty  position  inwards,  —  to  strike 
on  the  inside  of  the  knee,  and  produce  an  inflammatory  swelling, 
termed  speedy  cut,  which  sometimes  takes  a  long  time  to  reduce. 
It  is  evident,  therefore,  that,  in  order  to  remedy  the  evil,  we 
must  ascertain  its  causes  ;  yet,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  we  have 
to  depend  on  the  blacksmith  and  a  careful  driver  for  a  cure ; 
the  physician  has  nothing  to  offer  but  advice  and  palliatives. 


GENERALITIES. 

CRIBBING.  —  {Crib  Biti?ig.)* 

The  act  of  cribbing  consists  in  grasping  the  crib,  or  a  given 
point,  with  one  or  both  jaws,  at  the  same  time  uttering  a  laryn- 
geal sound,  resembling  a  grunt.     A  cribbing  horse  has  generally 

*  "  Although  the  abnormal  action  with  horses  known  under  the  appellation 
of  crib  biting  is  so  frequently  observed,  it  is  still  one  far  from  being  sufficiently 
understood.  Many  of  our  best  veterinary  authors  have  furnished  dissertations 
on  the  subject ;  but  these  present  great  variety  of  opinion  touching  the  causes, 
seat,  nature,  and  consequences  of  crib  biting.  Whilst  one  contends  that,  in 
the  act,  the  horse  swallows  atmospheric  air,  another  contends  that  the  animal 
ejects  air,  which  act  is  accompanied  with  a  particular  noise,  created  by  gas 
generated  in  the  stomach.  Some  say  that  the  habit  is  injurious  to  the  horses 
that  practise  it,  and  that  it  frequently  renders  them  valueless  ;  while  others 
maintain  that  it  nowise  materially  hurts  them.  The  Court  (of  Appeal)  has 
pronounced  in  favor  of  its  innocuousness. 

"  By  this  we  are  led  to  distinguish  crib  biting  into  that  which  is  acquired  by 
habit,  habitual,  and  that  which  is  properly  so  called,  and  which  is  spontaneous. 

"  The  opinion  which  regards  crib  biting  as  discharging  air  from  the  stomach, 


358  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

been  considered  unsound,  but  we  know  not  on  what  grounds;  for 
we  look  upon  a  horse  as  sound  so  long  as  he  can  perform  the 
duties  of  an  ordinary  horse  without  inconvenience  or  lameness: 
he  may  have  defects,  both  as  regards  form  and  action ;  but  such 
are  not  to  be  construed  into  unsoundness.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact  that  very  few  cribbers  fail  to  perform  the  duties  required  of 
them.     They  may,  once  in  a  while,  have  an  attack  of  colic ;  but 

similar  to  belching  in  ourselves,  is  evidently  an  erroneous  one,  since  it  implies 
that  the  act  is  one  of  absolute  necessity.  Now,  it  is  well  known  that  by  va- 
rious means  we  have  it  in  our  power  to  prevent  crib  biting  in  some  horses  for  a 
longer  or  shorter  time ;  but  in  doing  this  we  never  hear  of  any  evil  conse- 
quences arising  from  its  suppression.  Indeed,  if  such  were  true,  horses  ought 
to  blow  themselves  out  with  the  gas,  which,  instead  of  eructating,  they  are 
now  compelled  to  retain.  And,  moreover,  did  crib  biting  consist  in  eructation, 
gas  might  make  its  escape  through  the  nose,  and  then  the  animal  would  have 
no  occasion  for  that  violent  movement  which  characterizes  crib  biting. 

"  To  those  who  pretend  that  crib  biting  consists  in  swallowing  atmospheric 
air,  in  order  to  aid  the  digestion  of  horses  addicted  to  the  vice,  I  reply,  without 
entering  into  any  physiological  considerations,  that  if,  by  any  means,  the  crib 
biting  be  put  a  stop  to  for  several  months  together,  the  horse  digests  quite  as 
well  without  as  with  the  vice :  of  this  I  have  often  had  occasion  to  convince 
myself. 

"  The  explication  given  by  Professor  Gurlt,  of  crib  biting  with  eructation,* 
supplies  the  reason  of  the  difference  of  opinion  we  have  adverted  to,  and 
is  quite  conformable  to  what  one  daily  observes.  M.  Gurlt  asserts  that  the 
crib  biter  swallows  air,  which  he  the  same  instant  rejects  ;  but  that,  neverthe- 
less, in  particular  cases,  a  portion  of  the  air,  having  descended  into  the  oesopha- 
gus, does  not  reascend  into  the  pharynx,  but  penetrates  into  the  stomach,  into 
which  it  is  forced  by  the  contraction  of  the  wall  of  the  oesophagus.  M.  Strant, 
who  has  written  an  admirable  memoir  f  on  crib  biting  in  horses,  admits  of  the 
view  of  the  matter  taken  by  Guilt,  which  he  explains  in  this  way  :  ■  The  ani- 
mal, when  he  incurvates  his  head  upon  his  breast,  does  so  to  gain  a  point 
d'appui,  in  order  to  force  a  certain  quantity  of  atmospheric  air  into  the  phar- 
ynx, and  thus  overcome,  in  this  act,  the  natural  impediment  offered  by  the 
velum  palati  and  fauces  ;  the  larynx  is  elevated,  while  coincident  muscular  con- 
traction draws  up  the  fauces  to  receive  the  swallowed  air.  At  this  moment 
the  horse  relaxes  in  his  effort,  (crib  biters  in  the  air  effect  the  movement  in 
slight  elevation  of  the  head,)  and  then  the  air  swallowed  flows  back,  and  escapes 
with  the  characteristic  sound.  With  old  crib  biters  we  may  convince  ourselves, 
by  auscultation,  that  the  sound  attendant  on  the  act  is  in  truth  produced  at 
the  moment  cf  the  evacuation  of  the  air;  and  with  horses  in  which  the  air 
reaches  the  stomach,  a  second  faint,  supplementary  sound  may  be  heard  along 

*  Nachtr'ige  zur  Pathologischen  Anatomie,  von  Gurlt,  p.  69. 

f  Repertorium  des  Tluerheilkunde,  heraiusgegeben  von  Hering,  1850,  p.  190. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  359 

that  is  not  due  to  cribbing,  but  to  indigestion :  still  the  popular 
belief  is,  that  cribbing  is  either  the  result  or  cause  of  colic. 
The  author's  opinion  is,  that  cribbing  is  a  habit  either  ac- 
quired or  hereditary  ;  that  the  sound  or  grunt  originates  in  the 
vocal  organs,  from  air  admitted  within  them  and  expelled  with- 
out entering  the  trachea,  and  in  consequence  of  air  supplied  to 
them  from  the  lungs  during  expiration.     The  grunt  is  evidently 

the  oesophagus,  coming  from  the  air  entering  the  stomachic  cavity.  This  last 
sound  has  some  analogy  to  the  borborygmi  (rumblings)  of  the  bowels. 

"  In  this  manner  we  may  explain  very  readily  how  it  happens  that  some  crib 
biters  blow  their  bellies  out  very  much  in  the  act,  while  in  others  nothing  of 
the  kind  happens  ;  so  that  in  some  horses  the  vice  really  proves  prejudicial, 
while  others  seem  hardly  at  all  decreased  in  real  worth  by  it. 

"Hurtzel  d'Arboval,  and  numerous  veterinary  authors  with  him,  have  sought 
the  cause  of  crib  biting  in  the  digestive  organs ;  but,  in  perusing  this  author's 
article  on  the  subject,  it  is  easy  to  perceive  that  he  has  collected  exceptions  to 
establish  a  general  rule,  and  has  mistaken  the  effect  for  the  cause.  Indeed, 
the  medical  opinions  of  this  writer  savor  too  much  of  the  gastro-intestinal 
organs  being  the  seat  of  diseases  obscure  in  their  nature. 

"  I  know  many  crib  biting  horses,  but  I  am  not  acquainted  with  one  instance 
in  which  .the  vice  has  proved  decidedly  (sensibtement)  prejudicial,  providing,  as 
is  done  in  my  part  of  the  country,  measures  be  taken  to  hinder  horses  having 
it  biting  the  crib  any  great  deal.  Many  farmers,  indeed,  possessing  such 
horses,  regard  them,  though  perhaps  through  prejudice,  as  their  most  hardy 
workers.  I  often  find  a  single  crib  biter  in  a  farmer's  stable,  where,  perhaps, 
he  has  been  for  many  years  among  the  other  horses,  where  he  has  acquired  this 
evil  habit,  without  the  farmer's  being  at  all  able  to  divine  the  cause.  And  I 
have  possessed  a  harness  colt,  which  no  sooner  was  separated  from  his  dam  to 
be  tied  up  in  a  stall,  than  he  commenced  crib  biting,  without  ever  before  having 
shown  the  slightest  tendency  that  way.  He  is  at  present  six  or  seven  years 
of  age,  and  still  bites  the  crib.  If  crib  biting,  as  some  pretend,  consists  in 
swallowing  air  to  serve  the  purposes  of  digestion,  certainly  this  colt  ought  to 
have  ill  digested  his  food  during  the  time  he  was  kept  from  practising  it;  and 
if  there  results  from  the  act  the  generating  of  gas  in  the  stomach,  the  animal 
from  this  cause  would  have  found  himself  disordered  during  his  abstinence 
from  crib  biting. 

"  In  general,  crib  biting  ought  rather  to  be  regarded  as  a  vicious  habit  than  as 
a  disease  :  as  the  latter  I  have  never  been  able  to  regard  it.  Horses  that  are 
old  crib  biters  present  the  inconvenience  of  being  slow  feeders ;  they  require  a 
good  deal  to  satisfy  them  ;  and  those  which  generate  air  in  their  stomachs  are 
very  subject  to  attacks  of  meteorization.  To  obviate  such  inconveniences,  the 
following  means  have  been  recommended  :  either  the  ordinary  crib-biting  strap, 
or  an  iron  T,  whose  branches  so  embrace  the  throttle  as  to  prevent  the  horse's 
arching  his  neck  after  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  he  prepares  for  the  act 
and  accomplishes  it." 


3G0  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

an  expiratory  murmur,  and  the  air  necessary  for  producing  such 
is  derived  from  one  of  these  sources.  Some  contend  that  the 
animal  swallows  wind,  and  thus  creates  flatulency,  colic,  &c. ;  but 
the  idea  is  perfectly  ridiculous.  It  is  our  firm  belief,  based 
upon  a  knowledge  of  the  structure  of  the  parts  involved  in  the 
mechanism  of  respiration,  that  neither  man  nor  horse,  by  volun- 
tary act,  ever  has  power  to  swallow  atmospheric  air.  The 
organs  of  respiration  and  deglutition  differ  so  materially  in  their 
anatomical  and  physiological  relations  —  have  each  special  func- 
tions to  perform  —  that  it  is  impossible  for  one  to  perform  the 
function  of  the  other,  wThich  would  be  the  case  if  a  horse  actually 
swallowed  wind,  —  atmospheric  air,  —  and  then,  as  some  others 
contend,  regurgitated  it.*  On  these  grounds,  we  question,  there- 
fore, the  correctness  of  either  theory.  If  horses  possessed  the 
power  of  eructating  wind  or  gas  from  the  stomach,  we  might 
expect,  in  violent  cases  of  flatulency,  to  notice  its  escape  in  this 
way,  which  the  author  has  never  yet  been  able  to  do.  Crib 
biting,  therefore,  being  nothing  but  a  habit  or  vice,  can  only  be 
corrected  by  means  and  appliances  which  prevent  the  subject 
from  indulging  in  it.  In  this  view,  all  sorts  of  contrivances  have 
been  resorted  to,  and  among  them  was  one  which  was  invented 
by  Sir  Peter  Laurie.  The  space  between  the  bottom  of  the 
hay  rack  and  the  outer  edge  of  the  manger  is  boarded  over, 
forming  a  steep  inclined  plane,  leaving,  in  this  way,  no  edge  or 
point  on  which  the  horse  can  fix  his  jaw.  Attached  is  a  flap  or 
slide,  opened  only  at  meal  time.  The  author  uses  common  bar 
soap  as  a  preventive,  which  is  to  be  rubbed  on  the  edge  and 
outside  of  the  crib,  and  renewed  as  often  as  necessary. 

*  The  saliva  has  the  property  of  enclosing  within  its  globules,  during  the 
process  of  mastication,  a  small  quantity  of  atmospheric  air ;  but  we  never  knew 
of  its  doing  any  harm  :  it  may,  possibly,  answer  some  useful  purpose  in  diges- 
tion, and  we  strongly  suspect  that  in  that  wonderful  laboratory,  the  stomach, 
it  is  decomposed. 


the  modern  horse  doctor.  361 

POLL  EVIL. 

"  Poll  evil  results  either  from  neglect  or  abuse." 

Poll  evil  generally  makes  its  appearance  about  the  nape  of  the 
neck,  in  the  form  of  an  inflammatory  swelling,  which,  if  not  ar- 
rested, ends  in  abscess  and  fistula.  It  generally  proceeds  from 
blows  or  bruises.  Horses  that  are  located  in  low-roofed  stables 
are  apt  to  strike  the  poll  against  the  beams  or  ceiling;  and  a 
frequent  repetition  of  the  act  always  ends  in  induration  or  poll 
evil.  Some  horses  are  very  restless  in  the  stall,  and  are  con- 
stantly jerking  their  heads  upward,  especially  if  tethered  too 
short ;  in  consequence,  the  parts  which  come  in  contact  with  the 
upper  part  of  the  head-stall  are  bruised  ;  the  injury  is  not  often 
perceived  until  considerable  tumefaction  and  unhealthy  suppura- 
tion have  set  in  ;  the  case  then  becomes  exceedingly  difficult  to 
cure,  and  may  wear  out  the  patience  of  all  concerned.  Exces- 
sive friction  on  the  nape  of  the  neck,  from  bridle  or  halter,  or 
the  pressure  of  either  on  the  parts,  from  their  being  fastened  on 
the  head  too  tightly,  are  most  fertile  in  producing  this  malady. 
Other  causes  are  operative  in  producing  poll  evil  that  we  shall 
just  barely  allude  to,  (merely  in  view  of  prevention.)  It  is  well 
known  that  the  poll  is  a  part  which  very  seldom  makes  the  ac- 
quaintance of  either  brush  or  currycomb ;  yet  it  is  the  recep- 
tacle for  considerable  dust  and  filth  :  owing  to  the  accumulation 
of  either,  a  cutaneous  eruption  arises,  the  itching  sensation  of 
which  causes  the  horse  to  rub  whenever  he  can  get  a  chance ; 
the  evil  goes  on,  until  what  was  at  first  superficial  now  be- 
comes deep-seated,  by  mere  contiguity  of  tissue.  The  bungling 
and  oftentimes  cruel  manner  of  forcing  a  small  collar  on  a  large 
horse  —  pulling  first  this  way  and  then  that,  now  a  tug,  then  a 
jerk,  and  perhaps  a  blow  with  the  whip  stick  —  is  not  inoper- 
ative, to  say  the  least,  in  producing  this  malady.  Some  men  are 
in  the  constant  habit  of  bracing  the  horse's  head  downward  with 
the  martingale,  so  as  to  bring  the  mouth  and  chest  in  close  prox- 
imity ;  and  they  seldom  consider  that  the  strain  comes  on  the 
horse's  poll :  the  pressure  of  the  bridle  from  without,  and  the 
unyielding  nature  of  the  bones  of  the  neck,  bruise  the  interme- 


362  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

diate  soft  tissues,  and  poll  evil  is  the  result.     Notwithstanding  all 
this,  poll  evil  is  of  rather  rare  occurrence. 

Poll  evil  is  first  noticed  in  the  form  of  an  oval  tumor,  hot  and 
tender,  situated  directly  in  the  region  of  the  nape,  mostly  inclin- 
ing to  one  side  ;  in  the  suppurative  stage,  and  when  the  matter  is 
deep-seated,  scarcely  any  fluctuation  can  be  felt ;  when,  however, 
the  matter  lies  directly  beneath  the  skin,  or  in  the  cellular  tis- 
sues, the  reverse  is  the  case.  The  suppurative  finally  runs  into 
the  ulcerative  stage;  we  then  observe  chasms  and  sinuses,  simi- 
lar to  those  observed  in  fistula  of  the  withers,  and  finally  the 
bones  become  involved  in  the  disease. 

Treatment.  —  In  the  early  stage,  a  sort  of  antiphlogistic  treat- 
ment is  the  best.  The  patient  should  be  kept  on  a  light  diet, 
have  a  dose  of  cooling  medicine,  and  the  parts  should  be  kept 
constantly  wet  by  means  of  cold  water  bandages ;  for  an  indo- 
lent sort  of  tumor  we  substitute  a  solution  of  vinegar  and  salt. 
Continue  this  treatment  for  a  few  days.  Should  the  tumor 
increase  in  size,  and  have  a  soft,  fluctuating  feel,  apply  a  poultice 
of  linseed.  We  must  not  wait  for  the  tumor  to  break  of  itself; 
but  as  soon  as  matter  can  be  distinctly  felt,  let  it  be  opened  at 
the  lower  margin,  instead  of  its  summit ;  by  this  means  the 
matter  can  pass  off  as  fast  as  it  forms.  It  will  be  prudent  to 
make  a  pretty  large  opening,  so  that  no  obstruction  shall  exist  to 
the  free  and  full  discharge  of  matter,  which  must  be  pressed  out. 
It  is  customary  in  such  cases  to  apply  poultices  in  view  of  pro- 
moting the  discharge  ;  instead  of  poultice,  the  author  uses  a 
paste  composed  of  sugar,  soap,  and  powdered  bloodroot,  equal 
parts ;  these  are  to  be  rubbed  together  in  a  mortar,  and  spread 
on  cotton  cloth,  about  the  thickness  of  a  dollar,  and  thus  applied 
to  the  tumor,  to  be  secured  by  bandage.  In  the  majority  of 
cases,  however,  the  author  endeavors,  after  having  opened  the 
abscess,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  suppurative  process  in  the  following 
manner  :  Having  punctured  the  tumor,  and  pressed  out  as  much 
as  possible  of  morbid  accumulation,  take  a  six  or  eight  ounce 
syringe,  and  inject  the  cavity  several  times  with  tincture  of 
iodine ;  after  doing  so,  cram  into  the  chasm  a  portion  of  salt 
and  bloodroot,  equal  parts  ;  put  a  cold  water  pad  on  the  eminence, 
and  encircle  it  with  a  roller,  passed  around  the  head  and  neck  in 


THE    MODERN    HORSE   DOCTOR.  363 

the  usual  manner,  as  tight  as  circumstances  permit.  On  the 
following  day  the  bandage  is  to  be  removed,  the  part  washed 
and  dressed,  and  a  small  quantity  of  tincture  of  iodine  injected, 
and  bandaged  as  before.  This  treatment  must  be  followed  up 
for  several  days,  at  the  end  of  which,  should  the  discharge  have 
decreased,  and  other  symptoms  appear  favorable,  the  chances  are 
in  favor  of  a  cure.  Our  object  in  this  treatment  is  to  excite  ad- 
hesive inflammation,  by  means  of  which,  accompanied  by  pres- 
sure, the  surfaces  of  the  interior  are  glued  together. 

Cases,  however,  occur  which  set  at  defiance  all  our  skill.  In 
such  the  ligamentary,  tendinous,  fleshy,  and  bony  structures  are 
involved,  perhaps  accompanied  with  fistulas,  running  in  various 
directions,  like  so  many  pipes  or  drains ;  and  the  difficulty  of 
closing  the  latter  is,  that  they  acquire  a  mucous  lining ;  and  all 
mucous  canals  are  very  difficult  to  unite.  The  only  remedy  in 
such  cases  is  the  knife  :  the  part  must  be  laid  open  and  all  fistu- 
lous pipes  dissected  out.  Should  a  portion  of  bone  be  diseased, 
that  must  also  be  removed.  The  chasm  is  then  to  be  cleansed 
with  a  solution  of  chloride  of  lime,  or  pyroligneous  acid ;  its 
edges  brought  together  by  suture,  leaving  an  orifice  at  the  lower 
part  for  the  discharge  of  matter.  Our  object  must  still  be  to 
heal  by  adhesion,  as  already  described.  Should  we  fail  in  this, 
and  the  part  assume  a  morbid  type,  inject  and  dress  it  with 

Spirits  of  turpentine,  ^ 

Pyroligneous  acid,       >     .     .     .     equal  parts. 

Linseed  oil,  } 

Fir  balsam  has  also  a  very  good  effect  on  indolent  and  morbid 
parts.  So  soon,  however,  as  the  parts  show  a  disposition  to  heal, 
dress  with  tincture  of  aloes  and  myrrh. 

Our  treatment  must  not  be  altogether  of  a  local  character ;  we 
must  attend  to  the  general  health,  and  keep  the  bowels  soluble. 
Sulphur,  sassafras,  and  cream  of  tartar  are  the  best  remedies. 


FISTULA  OF  THE  WITHERS. 

This  disease  does  not  differ  from  the  preceding  one,  except  in 
location  :  fistula  of  the  withers,  however,  is  more  common  than 
poll  evil ;  and  this  arises  in  consequence  of  the  withers  being 


364-  i  hi;    MODERN    HOR9E    DOCTOR. 

more  exposed  to  injury  than  the  poll.  Of  the  two  diseases,  fis- 
tula is  the  more  formidable ;  for  the  sinuses  often  burrow  deep 
between  the  shoulder  blade  and  spinous  processes,  in  various 
directions,  so  that  it  becomes  botli  difficult  and  dangerous  to 
search  for  them.  For  the  treatment  of  fistula  the  reader  is  re- 
ferred to  Poll  Evil 

DOCKING. 

Fashion  and  convenience  seem  to  require  that  horses  must 
submit  to  have  their  caudal  appendages  shortened.  Yet  that 
fashion  which  condemns  a  poor  uncomplaining  brute  to  torture 
merely  for  the  caprice  of  his  owner  is  to  be  deplored,  especially 
when  performed  after  the  horrid  fashion  of  some  who  seem  to 
pay  no  regard  to  the  feelings  of  the  subject,  while  mangling  and 
searing  sensitive  tissues  that  are  as  susceptible  to  pain  as  those 
in  our  race.  It  is  useless,  however,  for  the  author  to  offer  any 
arguments  against  a  practice  so  long  established ;  he,  therefore, 
proposes  to  point  out  the  best  means  of  docking. 

The  animal  should  be  cast,  and  brought  under  the  influence  of 
chloroform ;  an  assistant  then  depresses  the  tail  into  its  natural 
position  ;  the  point  of  amputation  having  been  selected,  the  oper- 
ator feels  for  a  joint  or  articulation,  just  posterior  to  which  he 
commences  a  circular  incision,  carrying  the  knife  right  round  the 
tail  to  the  point  of  commencement,  cutting  down  to  the  fascia. 
The  integuments  are  then  to  be  forcibly  drawn  upwards,  while 
the  operator  disarticulates  the  joint  by  making  an  incision  right 
through  it.  The  coccygeal  arteries  are  to  be  drawn  out  with  a 
pair  of  forceps,  and  secured  by  ligature.  The  integuments,  in- 
stead of  being  retracted  above  the  lower  end  of  the  bone,  are  now 
below  it,  and  thus  can  be  made  to  protect  it  from  injuries.  Two 
or  three  stitches  are  now  needed  to  approximate  the  edges  of  the 
wound,  and  the  operation  is  finished,  without  much  loss  of  blood, 
and  with  little  if  any  pain  to  our  subject.  Here  the  red-hot  iron 
and  guillotine,  —  a  docking  machine  always  puts  us  in  mind  of 
one, — are  dispensed  with,  to  the  honor  of  our  calling  and  benefit 
of  our  noble  patient.  The  after  treatment  is  very  simple ;  cold 
water,  or  some  tincture  of  aloes,  will  complete  the  cure.  If  they 
should  not,  owing  to  profuse  suppuration,  use  pyroligneous  acid, 
and  give  a  dose  of  medicine. 


TIIE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  365 

The  common  methods  of  performing  this  operation  is  by  means 
of  a  docking  machine,  or  other  sharp  instrument,  which  takes  off 
the  tail  at  one  stroke ;  but  the  operator,  unless  he  understands 
his  business,  often  finds  he  has  severed  one  of  the  bones  of  the 
tail  and  left  behind  some  projecting  spiculce,  which  afterwards 
have  to  be  removed.  To  stanch  hemorrhage  a  red-hot  iron  is 
applied  to  the  stump ;  and  this  is  the  most  barbarous  proceeding 
of  the  whole,  for  it  is  only  necessary  to  seal  the  arteries  with  a 
pointed  budding-iron,  brought  to  a  white  heat,  and  merely  touch 
them  with  the  same.  For  if  the  iron  be  not  sufficiently  hot,  or 
should  it  be  kept  in  contact  with  the  part  too  long,  it  will  bring 
away  an  eschar,  and  thus  the  process  has  to  be  repeated.  The 
common  iron,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre,  used  for  closing  the  arte- 
ries, is  objectionable,  because  it  is  calculated  to  come  in  contact 
with  the  muscles  of  the  tail,  and  must  necessarily  contract  them, 
and  leave  the  bone  more  exposed.  But  there  is,  actually,  no 
necessity  for  cauterization,  for  the  artery  can  be  secured  by  lig- 
ature in  less  time  than  it  requires  to  sear  it. 

WOUNDS. 

The  treatment  of  wounds  depends  altogether  upon  their  nature 
and  cause.  It  is  very  difficult  in  the  horse  —  although  not  so  in 
man  —  to  heal  a  wound  by  what  is  called  "Jirst  intention" 
which  means  union  by  medium  of  coagulable  lymph  without 
suppuration.  The  definition  of  wound,  technically,  is,  a  solution 
of  continuity  in  the  soft  parts,  produced  by  some  mechanical 
agent.  Wounds  are  divided  into  incised,  contused,  lacerated, 
punctured,  and  penetrating. 

Incised  Wounds. 

Incised  wounds  are  those  inflicted  by  sharp  instruments.  On 
the  human  body  they  often  heal  without  any  subsequent  inflam- 
mation beyond  what  nature  sets  up  in  the  restorative  process ; 
but  the  difficulty  in  the  horse  is,  that  we  cannot  always  keep  the 
parts  in  contact,  and  therefore  it  is  not  so  easy  to  unite  them. 
In  many  cases,  after  having  been  at  the  trouble  to  adjust  by 
31* 


366  IHK    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

sutures  the  edges  of  divided  parts,  and  when  all  seems  going  on 
favorably,  the  animal  gets  his  head  round,  and  tears  the  wound 
open  afresh,  so  that  our  labor  is  all  in  vain.  This  puts  a  damper  on 
healing  by  first  intention.  There  are  several  other  difficulties  in 
the  way  of  healing  by  this  method,  well  known  to  anatomists. 
We  shall  just  merely  refer  to  the  principal  one,  because  it  may 
satisfy  the  reader  that  some  wounds  had  better  not  be  sutured, 
for  they  put  the  subject  to  a  great  deal  of  pain  for  no  pur- 
pose. Horses,  as  well  as  some  other  animals,  have,  in  lieu  of 
hands,  a  peculiar  muscular  arrangement  under  the  skin,  by 
means  of  which  they  can  shake  off  flies  and  other  foreign  bodies ; 
and  it  is  owing  to  the  facility  with  which  they  can  jerk  or  move 
the  skin  that  we  often  fail  in  uniting  flesh  wounds.  Other  ob- 
stacles are  to  be  met  with,  both  in  relation  to  the  size  of  the 
wound  and  as  regards  its  anatomical  direction.  If  the  wound  is 
seen  immediately  after  infliction,  and  there  seems  to  be  the  least 
probability  of  healing  by  first  intention,  we  place  a  twitch  on  the 
horse's  nose,  and  examine  the  part.  If  there  be  found  neither 
dirt  nor  foreign  body  of  any  kind,  the  blood  had  better  not  be 
washed  off;  for  this  is  the  best  healing  material  in  the  world. 
The  edges  are  then  to  be  brought  together  by  interrupted  sutures, 
taking  care  not  to  include  the  hair  between  the  edges  of  the 
wound,  for  that  would  effectually  prevent  union.  Nothing  more 
is  needed  but  to  secure  the  animal  so  that  he  cannot  get  at  it.  If 
he  is  to  be  kept  in  the  "stable,  without  exercise,  for  any  length  of 
time,  he  had  better  be  put  on  half  diet.  Pure  air  will  not 
hurt  him  ! 

Contused  Wounds. 

These  are  generally  occasioned  by  hooks,  or  some  blunt  body 
connected  with  the  harness  or  vehicle.  They  generally  leave  a 
gaping  wound  with  bruised  edges.  We  have  only  to  remember 
that  nature  possesses  the  power  of  repairing  injuries  of  this 
kind  —  of  filling  up  the  parts  and  covering  them  with  new  skin  ; 
all  we  have  to  do  is,  to  attend  to  the  general  health  of  the  animal, 
and  keep  the  wound  in  a  healthy  condition.  Our  usual  applica- 
tion is  the  compound  tincture  of  myrrh.  If  the  part  assume  an 
unhealthy  aspect,  a  charcoal  poultice  will  rectify  that.     If  such 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  367 

cannot  be  applied,  owing  to  the  situation  of  the  wound,  dress  it 
with  pyroligneous  acid. 

Lacerated  Wounds. 

Lacerated  wounds  are  generally  in  the  form  of  a  rent  rather 
than  cut,  inflicted  (as  we  have  seen  cases)  by  the  calking  of  a 
shoe  tearing  off  the  integuments  and-subcellular  tissue,  leaving  a 
sort  of  triangular  flap.  In  these  cures  we  generally  employ 
sutures,  and  treat  them  the  same  as  incised  wounds. 

Punctured  Wounds. 

Punctured  wounds  are  those  inflicted  by  a  pointed  body,  as  a 
nail  in  the  foot,  point  of  a  fork,  or  splinter  of  wood.  These  are 
the  most  dangerous  kinds  of  wounds,  for  they  are  frequently  the 
cause  of  fistula  and  locked-jaw. 

We  make  it  an  invariable  rule,  in  the  treatment  of  punctured 
wounds,  to  first  examine  by  probe  or  otherwise,  and  remove  any 
foreign  body  that  may  be  present,  and  then  poultice  with  flaxseed, 
into  which  we  stir  a  small  quantity  of  fir  balsam.  In  puncture 
of  the  foot  by  nail,  instead  of  plastering  it  with  tar,  and  forcing 
a  tent  into  the  orifice,  and  then  covering  the  sole  with  leather,  as 
most  blacksmiths  are  wont  to  do,  we  have  the  shoe  taken  off,  the 
foot  washed  clean,  and  a  moderately  warm  poultice  applied,  and 
renewed  daily,  until  the  suppurative  stage  commences.  That 
once  established,  we  consider  our  patient  safe ;  for  many  men,  as 
well  as  animals,  have  lost  their  lives  from  the  absorption  of  pus 
formed  in  the  wound  after  the  external  breach  had  healed. 
When  a  bone  is  injured  by  the  point  of  a  nail,  or  fork,  the  cure 
is  rather  tedious ;  the  primary  means,  however,  are  the  same. 
The  poultices  may  be  followed  by  astringent  injections,  as  alum 
water,  &c.  In  case  of  injury  to  the  bone,  we  use  pyroligneous 
acid ;  to  be  thrown  into  the  wound  by  means  of  a  small  syringe. 
If  extensive  disease  of  the  bone  sets  in,  the  services  of  a  veter- 
inary surgeon  will  be  required.  A  very  profuse  or  unhealthy 
discharge  from  a  punctured  wound  must  be  met  by  constitutional 
remedies.      Sulphur   and   sassafras,  to  the  amount  of  half  an 


368  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

ounce  each,  every  other  clay,  to  the  amount  of  three  or  four 
doses,  will  arrest  the  morbid  phenomenon.  The  local  remedy  in 
all  cases  of  this  kind  is  diluted  acetic  or  pyroligneous  acid.  For 
the  treatment  of  a  li^tulous  opening,  see  Fistula.  For  puncture 
of  joints,  see  Open  Joint. 

Penetrating  Wounds 

Are  inflicted  by  the  horns  of  cattle,  stakes,  shafts,  &c,  and 
have  to  be  treated  according  to  the  nature  of  the  case.  A  pene- 
trating wound  of  the  walls  of  the  abdomen  is  generally  followed 
by  protrusion  of  the  intestine ;  this  has  to  be  returned  ;  the 
wound  is  then  closed  by  strong  sutures,  and  the  belly  must  be 
encircled  with  a  long  bandage.  In  such  cases  we  generally  keep 
the  bowels  soluble  with  scalded  shorts,  well  seasoned  with  salt, 
and  empty  the  rectum  occasionally  by  enema. 

Penetrating  Wound  of  Intestine. 

To  illustrate  the  mode  of  procedure  when  the  intestine  is 
wounded,  the  following  case  is  introduced:  We  were  called  to 
see  a  three-year-old  colt  that  had  been  gored  by  a  cow.  The 
animal  had  a  wound  on  the  off  side,  about  four  inches  in  length, 
in  the  iliac  region,  through  which  a  portion  of  the  small  intes- 
tine protruded.  On  exploring  the  breach,  it  was  found  to  run  in 
a  slanting  direction,  and  as  it  approached  the  peritoneum,  was 
found  quite  small,  scarcely  admitting  the  little  finger ;  here  the 
bowel  was  both  strangulated  and  lacerated,  the  intestinal  open- 
ing being  external  to  the  stricture.  Before  proceeding  to  cast  the 
horse,  a  twitch  was  placed  on  the  nose,  and  the  edges  of  the 
wounded  intestine  were  neatly  sewed  together  with  a  very  fine 
suture  needle.  Our  reason  for  doing  this  before  casting  was, 
lest  in  the  animal's  struggles  the  bowel  might  recede,  and  give  us 
some  trouble  in  getting  hold  of  it  again.  There  was  not  much 
danger  of  it,  however;  still  we  wanted  to  be  on  the  safe  side. 
The  intestinal  wound  was  not  produced  by  the  cow's  horn,  but 
took  place  some  three  hours  afterwards,  and  two  before  we  saw 
the  case,  in  the   following  manner:   the  protruded  bowel  had 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  3G9 

become  distended  with  gas,  and  according  to  the  owner's  account, 
was  about  the  size  of  his  two  fists.  The  animal,  probably  being 
in  pain,  got  down  and  rolled  on  the  injured  side,  and  thus  burst 
the  gut.  After  sewing  up  the  wounded  intestine,  it  was  cleansed 
with  warm  water,  and  attempts  were  made  to  return  it  within  the 
abdomen,  but  to  no  purpose.  We  then  cast  the  patient,  and,  by 
means  of  a  bundle  of  straw  on  each  side,  propped  him  on  his 
back :  the  bowel  did  not  return  so  easily  as  we  had  expected,  for 
it  was  found  necessary  to  dilate  the  stricture  by  means  of  a  but- 
ton-pointed bistoury.  The  several  layers  of  abdominal  muscles 
were  then  sutured  with  as  much  nicety  as  the  nature  of  the 
wound  admitted;  and  lastly  the  integuments  were  brought  to- 
gether by  interrupted  suture.  This  case  terminated  unfavor- 
ably, for  the  animal  died  on  the  sixth  day  from  peritonitis.  It 
may  be  well  to  observe  that  the  accident  happened  on  a  very 
cold  day,  in  the  depth  of  winter ;  and  the  bowel  being  so  long 
exposed  to  the  depressing  influence  of  cold,  probably  led  to  the 
fatal  result ;  for  it  is  well  known  that  operations  of  this  kind  often 
prove  successful.  It  may  be  interesting  to  the  reader  to  know 
that  wounds  of  the  intestines  heal  as  readily  as  those  of  other 
parts,  as  the  following  cases  will  show :  — 

"  An  incision  one  inch  and  a  half  in  length  was  made  in  the 
bowels  of  a  dog ;  the  wound  of  the  integuments  was  closed  by 
suture ;  the  animal  was  scarcely  affected  by  the  operation,  took 
food  as  usual,  and  had  natural  evacuations.  At  the  end  of  a 
fortnight,  when  perfectly  recovered,  he  was  killed  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  the  bowel,  when  the  wound  appeared  to  be  com- 
pletely healed. 

"  In  the  eighteenth  volume  of  the  Philosojihical  Transactions 
a  similar  experiment  is  related  by  Mr.  W.  Cooper :  '  An  opening 
was  made  in  the  abdomen  of  a  dog ;  a  large  wound  was  made  in 
the  intestines,  and  the  wound  in  the  abdomen  was  stitched  up, 
&c. ;  the  dog  recovered  without  any  bad  symptoms,  and  became 
perfectly  well  in  a  few  days  after.'  It  should  be  observed  that 
the  bowel  does  not  appear  to  have  been  stitched  up  when  re- 
turned into  the  belly.  The  following  experiment  by  Mr.  Travers 
is  still  more  remarkable  :  '  A  ligature  of  thin  packthread  was 
firmly  tied  round  the  first  intestine  —  duodenum  —  of  a  dog,  so 


370  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

as  completely  to  obstruct  it ;  the  ends  of  the  strings  were  cut  off, 
and  the  parts  returned  ;  the  wound  in  the  abdomen  was  closed, 
and  the  animal  expressed  no  sign  of  suffering  when  the  opera- 
tion was  concluded.  On  the  following  day  he  was  frequently 
sick,  and  vomited  some  milk  that  was  given  him ;  his  respiration 
was  hurried.  Third  day  his  sickness  continued,  and  he  vomited 
some  bilious  fluid.  Fifth  day  he  passed  a  copious  stool  of  the 
same  appearance  as  the  fluid  discharged  by  vomiting  ;  his  sick- 
ness from  this  time  ceased,  and  his  breathing  was  natural ;  he 
took  bread  and  milk,  and  drank  abundantly  of  water.  Seventh 
day  he  had  three  similar  evacuations,  and  appeared  well,  eating 
animal  food  freely.  On  the  fifteenth  day,  his  cure  being  estab- 
lished, he  was  killed  for  the  purpose  of  examination.  The  liga- 
ture which  was  fastened  around  the  intestine  divided  the  interior 
coats  of  the  gut,  in  this  respect  resembling  the  operation  of 
a  ligature  upon  an  artery ;  the  peritoneal  or  outer  coat  alone 
maintained  its  integrity.  The  inflammation  which  the  liga- 
ture induces  on  either  side  of  it  is  terminated  by  the  depo- 
sition of  a  coat  of  lymph,  exterior  to  the  ligature ;  this  quickly 
becomes  organized  ;  and  the  ligature,  thus  enclosed,  is  liberated 
by  the  ulcerative  process,  falls  of  necessity  into  the  canal,  and 
passes  off  by  stool.'  "  —  Tr avers  on  Injuries. 

Penetrating  Wounds  of  the  Chest. 

Wounds  of  this  character  are  not  fatal,  provided  the  lungs  or 
heart  are  not  perforated.  All  that  can  be  done  is  to  suture  the 
wound,  pass  several  turns  of  a  roller  round  the  chest,  and  adopt 
such  constitutional  means  as  the  case  seems  to  require. 

WORMS. 

Animal  parasites  are  sometimes  found  in  the  intestinal  canal 
of  a  horse  in  very  large  numbers  ;  they  often  exist  without 
producing  any  perceptible  disturbance  in  the  economy ;  yet  in 
some  cases  they  unquestionably  produce  irritation,  suffering,  and 
ill  health.  The  usual  disease  with  which  worms  are  connected 
is  indigestion,  known  by  fetid  breath,  tucked  up  belly,  staring 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  371 

coat,  loss  of  flesh,  voracious  appetite,  and  slimy  stools.  Worms 
—  excepting  bots  —  are  supposed  by  some  to  be  of  spontaneous 
origin  ;  but  our  opinion  is,  that  they  are  the  result  of  a  per- 
verted state  of  the  parts  in  which  they  appear.  The  long,  round 
worm  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  small  intestines ;  and  the  pin  or 
thread  worm  is  generally  found  in  the  large  intestines  and  rec- 
tum. 

Treatment.  —  Various  are  the  remedies  used  for  the  expulsion 
of  worms  :  the  chief  are,  wood  ashes,  poplar  bark,  sulphur,  salt, 
castor  oil,  turpentine,  calomel,  tartar  emetic,  and  aloes  ;  either 
of  which  will  sometimes  bring  away  a  quantity  of  worms.  But 
the  difficulty  does  not  end  here ;  the  worms  will  generate  so  long 
as  that  morbid  habit  which  gives  rise  to  them  exists.  Hence  the 
course  invariably  pursued  by  the  author  is  to  change  the  morbid 
habit  by  alteratives  and  vermifuges  *  combined.  The  following 
is  a  good  example  of  the  same  :  — 

*  "  In  this  inquiry  the  principal  experiments  were  performed  by  immersing 
the  worms  of  dogs,  cats,  and  other  of  the  lower  animals,  in  milk  or  fluid  albu- 
men, at  a  temperature  of  about  77°  Fahrenheit,  and  then  adding  the  vermifuge 
of  the  fluid.     Electricity  was  employed  to  test  the  actual  death  of  the  worm. 

"  Tape  Worms.  —  The  decoction  of  kousso  and  milk  proved  fatal  in  half  an 
hour ;  turpentine  and  albumen  from  one  hour  to  one  hour  and  a  quarter  ;  de- 
coction of  pomegranate  bark  and  milk  or  albumen,  in  from  three  hours  to 
three  hours  and  a  half ;  ethereal  extract  of  male  fern  with  albumen  in  from 
three  hours  and  a  half  to  four  hours ;  and  castor  oil  with  albumen  in  eight 
hours.  Therefore  kousso  appears  to  be  by  far  the  most  potent  of  the  vir- 
mifuges. 

"  Tape  worms  placed  in  a  salad  containing  onions  and  garlic,  and  dressed 
with  vinegar  and  oil,  died  in  about  eight  hours. 

"  Dolichos  pruriens  appeared  to  exert  no  poisonous  influence,  nor  did  brown 
oxide  of  copper ;  though  the  latter  excited  violent  mischief  in  the  intestines 
of  a  cat,  to  which  it  was  administered. 

"Round  Worms.  —  Santonine  dissolved  in  castor  oil  caused  death  in  about 
ten  minutes  ;  but  santonine  in  milk  or  in  albumen  had  no  appreciable  influ- 
ence ;  creosote  caused  death  within  two  hours  ;  common  salt  in  from  two  to  six 
hours  ;  and  the  roe  of  the  herring,  or  flour  of  mustard,  in  four  hours.  Turpen- 
tine and  albumen,  or  petroleum,  or  oil  of  cajeput  and  albumen,  were  upon  a 
par  with  common  salt.  A  salad  containing  garlic  and  onions  caused  death  in 
from  ten  to  fifteen  hours  ;  garlic  acid,  pomegranate  root,  and  vinegar  operated 
fatally  in  about  eleven  hours ;  but  kousso  and  the  other  astringents  required 
from  twenty-four  to  thirty  hours  before  they  produced  this  result.  Ordinary 
bitters  acted  very  slowly  and  unsatisfactorily. 

"  From  these  experiments  Dr.  K.  recommends  that,  to  the  cure  of  round 


372  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

"White  mustard  seed,  (whole,) 

Powdered  mandrake, 

Sulphur,  (■  of  each  2  ounces, 

Powdered  wormseed,  {chenojyodium  anthehninticum,)  1 

Salt,  ginger,  and  charcoal,  J 

Poplar  bark, 1  pound. 

Mix.  Dose,  one  ounce,  night  and  morning,  in  the  food.  Under 
the  exhibition  of  this  medicine,  aided  by  proper  dietary  regula- 
tions, the  animal  will  gradually  improve  in  condition,  and  in  the 
course  of  a  short  time  the  worms  will  disappear.  Should 
the  rectum  abound  in  pin  worms,  an  injection  of  salt  will  be 
indicated. 

The  following  vermifuge  is  occasionally  prescribed  by  the 
author,  and  it  has,  in  some  cases,  brought  away  large  quantities 
of  worms :  — 

Castor  oil, 12  ounces, 

Oil  of  wormseed, 1  ounce, 

Oil  of  tansy, 3  drachms. 

To  be  given  on  an  empty  stomach,  followed  by  mashes  of  fine 
feed  or  shorts,  well  seasoned  with  salt.  To  be  repeated,  if  ne- 
cessary, until  the  bowels  respond. 


NICKING. 

Nicking  is  another  fashionable  barbarism  that  very  few 'horses 
escape.  The  world  of  horsemen  have  decided,  no  tail  no 
horse  ;  and  if  an  animal  does  not  describe  an  angle  of  forty -live 
with  his  tail,  he  is  said  to  carry  none.  In  order,  therefore,  to  find 
a  ready  purchaser,  an  owner  is  often  compelled  to  have  his  horse 
nicked,  in  order  to  make  him  appear  more  graceful.  The  opera- 
tion, as  performed  in  England,  is  thus  described  by  Surgeon 
White:  — 

"  The  operation  consists  in  making  three  incisions  in  the  under 
part  of  the  tail,  extending  quite  across,  or  as  far  as  there  is  no 
hair  produced.     The  first  cut  should  be  about  two  or  three  inches 


worms,  a  mixture  of  santonine  and  castor  oil  should  be  made,  in  proportion  of 
from  two  to  five  grains  of  the  former  to  one  ounce  of  the  latter,  and  a  tea- 
spoonful  of  this  given  until  the  desired  effect  is  produced  ;  and  along  with  this 
he  recommends  salt  and  mustard,  with  onions  and  garlic,  to  be  added  to  the 
diet  of  the  patient."  —  Report  on  Practical  Medicine,  by  Dr.  KUchenmeister. 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  373 

from  the  base  of  the  tail,  and  a  similar  space  should  be  left  be- 
tween the  first  and  second,  and  second  and  third  incisions.  On 
making  the  second  incision,  if  the  first  has  been  sufficiently  deep, 
part  of  the  muscle  will  protrude,  which  must  be  drawn  out  and 
cut  off.  The  bleeding  is  to  be  stopped  by  pledgets  of  tow  firmly 
bound  on.  The  tail  is  now  to  be  kept  in  an  elevated  position  by 
means  of  a  cord  tied  to  the  end  of  it,  and  passed  over  a  pulley 
with  a  weight  attached  to  the  other  end  of  the  cord.  It  is  need- 
less to  give  a  particular  description  of  this  part  of  the  process. 
as  the  apparatus  may  be  seen  in  any  horse  dealer's  stable,  where 
it  is  always  kept  ready.  It  will  be  necessary  to  keep  the  horse 
in  the  pulleys  from  three  weeks  to  a  month.  The  morning  after 
the  operation,  the  bandage  must  be  loosened  or  cut  through  on 
the  back  part  of  the  tail,  or  severe  inflammation  may  be  the  con- 
sequence. The  weight  applied  to  raise  the  tail  must  at  first  be 
moderate,  not  exceeding  two  or  three  pounds  ;  but  about  the 
sixth  day  it  may  be  increased  to  four  or  five  pounds.  No  kind 
of  dressing  is  necessary  during  the  process  ;  the  loosened  band- 
ages will  fall  off  about  the  third  or  fourth  day,  and  leave  large 
gaping  wounds,  which  will  gradually  fill  up,  and  be  completely 
healed  in  three  weeks.  When  the  horse  has  been  in  the  pulleys 
about  a  week,  he  should  be  taken  out  for  a  short  time,  and  led  up 
and  down,  in  order  to  see  in  what  manner  he  carries  his  tail.  If 
it  is  not  sufficiently  raised,  it  may  be  necessary  to  put  the  trans- 
verse line,  upon  which  the  double  pulley  runs,  a  little  farther 
forward  towards  the  head  of  the  stall,  that  the  tail  may  be 
brought  more  over  the  horse's  back;  and  should  he  carry  it  on 
one  side,  the  pulley  must  be  so  confined  as  to  keep  it  on  the  op- 
posite side  for  a  sufficient  time  to  make  him  carry  it  straight.  .V 
similar  examination  should  be  made  daily,  and  he  should  have  a 
little  exercise." 

The  usual  mode  of  operating  in  the  United  States,  is  to  make 
a  sub-cutaneous  section  of  the  muscles,  known  as  depi-essores 
coccygis,  the  use  of  which  are  to  depress  the  tail.  The  knife 
is  introduced  as  near  to  the  anus  as  possible  on  one  side  of  the 
tail,  between  the  bone  and  muscle ;  then,  with  a  sort  of  sawing 
motion,  — the  back  of  the  knife  being  towards  the  bones,  —  the 
muscle  is  divided,  which  may  be  known  by  the  edge  of  the  knife 


374  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

coming  in  contact  with  the  integuments.  This  is  repeated  on  the 
other  side,  and  the  operation  is  finished.  The  horse  is  generally 
fettered  by  a  rope  from  the  neck,  secured  to  each  hind  leg ;  he 
has  also  a  twitch  on  the  nose.  This  operation,  when  performed  in 
a  skilful  manner,  is,  probably,  superior  to  that  recommended  by 
White,  which  leaves  a  large  cicatrix,  very  objectionable  to  Ameri- 
can horsemen.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  horses  lose  an 
enormous  quantity  of  blood  after  the  operation  ;  but  that  results 
from  want  of  anatomical  knowledge.  The  coccygeal  arteries  are 
severed,  which  the  surgeon  knows  how  to  avoid.  Amateur  oper- 
ators often  find  that  the  subject  of  their  experiment  is  seized  with 
locked-jaw ;  and  in  other  cases  the  tail  curves  laterally  towards 
the  body.  In  the  former,  some  unnecessary  mangling  has  been 
performed,  and  in  the  latter  case,  one  of  the  curvatores  coccygis 
has  been  partly  or  wholly  severed,  which  allows  the  associate 
muscle  on  the  other  side  to  draw  the  tail  that  way.  Hence  the 
necessity  for  skilful  operators. 

METEORIZATIOX.  —  {Tympanic  Slate  of  the  Abdomen.) 

Meteorization  is  a  tympanitic  state  of  the  abdomen,  that  takes 
place  in  acute  diseases  suddenly  and  unexpectedly,  as  does  the 
appearance  of  a  meteor  in  the  heavens.  —  Hooper. 

The  following  article  is  translated  by  Mr.  Percivall  from  the 
Rec.  de  Med.  Vet. 

Puncture  of  the  Ccecum.  —  (  Cure.)  —  A  light  harness  geld- 
ing, seven  years  old,  after  having  eaten  a  good  allowance  of  oats 
and  bran,  was  employed  to  draw  a  load  of  dung  from  Paris  to 
Creteil.  He  had  no  sooner  arrived  when  he  was  attacked  with 
violent  colics  ;  his  belly  became  rapidly  blown  out,  when,  in 
consequence  of  suffocation  being  threatened,  the  carter  imme- 
diately brought  him  to  the  veterinary  school. 

On  his  arrival  his  respiration  was  highly  accelerated  ;  nostrils 
dilated ;  countenance  anxious ;  flank  so  blown  out  that  the  pro- 
cess of  the  ileum  is  almost  effaced ;  pulse  very  small,  quick,  and 
wiry,  &c.  Rectal  exploration  discovered  that  the  large  intes- 
tines contained  but  little  solid  matter,  but  were  mostly  distend- 
ed  with  gas.      From   time   to  time  the  animal  made  violent 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  375 

expulsive  efforts,  and  when  left  to  himself  he  lies  down  and 
rolls,  &c. 

Diagnostic.  —  Meteorization  consecutive  on  indigestion. 

Prescription.  —  V.  S. ;  continual  walking  exercise;  simple 
clysters;  drink  of  assafcetida  15  grammes,  (about  3  iv\,)  with  a 
like  quantity  of  camphor.  No  relief  being  afforded  in  an  hour 
afterwards,  a  drink  of  aloetic  oil,  composed  of  a  pint  and  a  half 
of  oil  with  10  grammes  (about  5  j)  of  Barbadoes  aloes. 

Two  hours  after  the  administration  of  this  drink,  there  had 
been  no  evacuation  of  either  solid  or  gaseous  matter  from  the 
anus.  The  pulse  had  become  small  and  depressed ;  the  skin 
cold ;  the  respiration  anxious,  sighing,  and  short.  Asphyxia 
threatening,  the  indication  is,  if  we  would  prevent  it,  and  so  save 
the  animal,  we  must  do  something  instantly.  Puncture  of  the 
caecum  was  determined  on. 

The  skin  was  penetrated  with  a  sharp,  straight  bistoury  at  the 
most  salient  part  in  the  flank,  about  the  middle  of  an  imaginary 
straight  line  extended  horizontally  from  the  angle  of  the  ileum 
to  the  last  rib,  and,  for  want  of  a  larger  trocar,  we  made  use  of 
one  of  Guerin's,  which  is  used  for  injections  into  the  joints. 
This  instrument  was  plunged  perpendicularly,  with  one  thrust, 
through  the  muscular  parietes  of  the  abdomen,  sc  as  to  penetrate 
the  arch  of  the  caecum,  which  it  did  with  facility,  the  resistance 
of  the  skin  having  been  previously  surmounted  by  the  incision 
made  by  the  bistoury.  The  stillette  was  no  sooner  withdrawn 
from  the  wound  than  the  gas  made  an  impetuous  eruption  to  es- 
cape, followed  by  frothy  matters,  and  spreading  around  an  em- 
pyreumatic  vegetable  odor. 

At  length,  this  current  was  on  a  sudden  interrupted,  on  account 
of  the  canula  being  so  short  that  it  slipped  out  of  the  gut  as  soon 
as  the  latter  came  to  subside  and  retire  from  proximity  with  the 
parietes.  This  first  result  obtained  by  puncture  proving  insuffi- 
cient, we  were  compelled  to  renew  the  operation.  A  first  incision 
was  made  through  the  skin  in  a  part  of  the  flank  nearer  to  the 
lumbar  vetebrae,  and  again  the  trocar  was  plunged  through  the 
abdominal  muscles  in  a  direction  nearly  parallel  with  the  trans- 
verse lumbar  processes.  In  this  way  the  instrument  penetrated 
the  most  prominent  part  of  the  caecal  arch,  and  at  a  point  where 


i57G  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

the  retraction  of  the  gut  was  not  to  be  feared  so  much,  to 
alter  the  parallelism  between  the  aperture  through  the  gut  and 
that  through  the  skin.  This  gave  issue  to  a  prolonged  flow 
of  gaseous  fluids  having  a  repulsive  odor ;  and  with  the  efflux 
the  parietes  gradually  lost  their  distention,  and  the  respiration 
became  fuller  and  freer.  The  canula  was  retained  in  the 
aperture  until  the  current  of  gas  ceased,  and  then  was  with- 
drawn. The  belly  had  now  recovered  its  former  dimensions 
and  suppleness. 

The  horse  was  relieved.  His  countenance  had  changed  for 
the  better  ;  but  his  pulse  was  depressed  and  his  skin  cold.  In 
order  to  produce  reaction,  his  body  was  ordered  to  be  envel- 
oped in  two  cloths  dipped  in  cold  water,  and  over  that  to  be 
placed  six  dry  cloths,  and  he  was  to  be  left  to  himself  in  a  stable 
made  hot.  In  twenty  minutes  a  very  strong  reaction  had  be- 
come established  in  the  skin ;  the  hands  introduced  underneath 
the  cloths  experienced  great  heat ;  the  pulse  had  recovered  its 
fulness,  and  with  it  the  peristaltic  action  of  the  intestines  had 
become  restored ;  for  the  animal  now  continually  passed  gas  and 
excrementitious  solid  matters.  From  this  moment  all  colicky 
symptoms  disappeared. 

Now,  however,  that  all  apprehension  from  gaseous  indiges- 
tion was  over,  there  remained  behind  such  as  might  arise  as 
consequences  of  the  operation,  among  which  the  chief  was  peri- 
tonitis. To  meet  this,  bloodletting  was  practised,  and  a  large 
sinapism  put  upon  his  belly.  The  next  morning  the  horse  ap- 
peared in  full  spirits,  drawing  his  provender  out  of  his  rack ; 
and  the  quantity  of  accumulated  faecal  matters  he  had  evacuated 
showed  the  canal  to  be  perfectly  free.  On  the  eleventh  day 
after  his  admission,  he  returned  to  his  master  quite  recovered. 

PROTRUSION  OF  THE   PENIS.  —  (Paraphimosis.) 

Paraphymosis  consists  of  a  contraction  of  the  prepuce  around, 
and  posterior  to,  the  glans  penis.  It  is  generally  considered  as 
an  inflammatory  tumefaction  of  the  glans,  accompanied  or  not 
with   cellular  effusion.     The  remedies  are,  aperiecit  medicine, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  377 

cold  water  applications  by  means  of  suspensory  bandages,  and 
light  diet.  In  cases  that  resist  the  ordinary  remedies,  the  stric- 
ture must  be  divided. 


URETHRAL   GLEET.  —  {Blenorrhagia.) 

Blenorrhagia  is  a  simple  augmented  secretion  of  mucous  matter 
from  the  urethra,  not  communicable  by  contact.  It  is  supposed 
to  be  identical  with  nasal  gleet.  The  worst  case  the  author  has 
ever  seen  occurred  in  a  stallion  which  had  covered  one  hundred 
and  twenty  mares  during  a  single  season.  He  had  a  copious  dis- 
charge of  white  mucus  from  the  urethra,  unattended  by  symp- 
toms of  pain  in  voiding  urine.  This  is  the  diagnostic  symptom  ; 
for  if  there  be  any  symptoms  of  pain  or  inflammatory  action,  at- 
tended with  tumefaction  of  the  glans  penis,  and  variations  in  the 
color  and  consistence  of  the  discharge,  the  case  is  then  one  of 
gonorrhoea,  capable  of  being  communicated  by  contact.  Such  a 
disease  has  never  yet  come  under  the  author's  observation.  Still, 
if  gonorrhoea  owes  its  origin  to  inflammation,  —  as  some  contend, 
—  we  cannot  see  how  horses  can  enjoy  immunity  from  it ;  there- 
fore veterinarians  must  be  prepared  to  treat  it.  In  the  case 
just  alluded  to,  blenorrhagia  arose  from  excessive  action  of  the 
generative  organs.  For  this  complaint  the  animal  was  drenched 
daily  with  a  portion  of  the  following  mixture  :  — 

Balsam  copaiba,       2  ounces, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 1  ounce, 

Sirup  of  garlic, 4  ounces, 

Mucilage  of  gum  Arabic,       ....  1  pint. 

Dose,  half  a  gill. 

The  penis  and  sheath  were  sponged  three  times  a  day  with 
cold  water,  and  the  patient  was  kept  from  mares.  Under  the 
treatment  he  recovered.  The  same  remedies  are  efficient  for 
the  treatment  of  leucorrhcea,  occurring  in  mares,  in  which  cool- 
ing applications  or  astringents  are  applied  to  the  vagina. 
32* 


378  THE  MODERN*  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

GLANDERS  AND   FARCY. 
Glanders. 

It  is  a  notorious  fact,  that  many  valuable  horses,  in  this  coun- 
try, are  yearly  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  ignorance ;  having 
been  pronounced  by  their  owners  as  glandered,  simply  because 
they  have  a  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  accompanied  by  enlarged 
maxillary  glands.*  And  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  many 
such  horses  might,  by  proper  medical  treatment,  be  restored  to 
health. 

Mr.  R.  Vines,  V.  S.,  says,  "All  the  symptoms  of  disease 
which  constitute  glanders  and  farcy  invariably  depend  on  the 
unhealthy  state  of  the  system  into  which  it  is  reduced  or  brought, 
and  not,  as  is  supposed,  from  a  specific  poison  contained  in  the 
blood  ;  and  these  symptoms  of  disease  are  found  to  depend  on, 
and  arise  from,  a  variety  of  causes  ;  whether  they  occur  at  the 
latter  states  or  stages  of  common  inflammatory  diseases,  such  as 
strangles,  common  cold,  distemper,  disease  of  the  lungs,  dropsy, 
&c,  or  whether  they  arise  independently  of  such  causes ;  for 
when  the  system  is  brought  into  an  unhealthy  state,  and  is  more 
or  less  debilitated  from  neglect,  or  by  the  improper  treatment 
of  any  of  these  diseases,  farcy  or  glanders  is  the  result.  The 
diseases  of  every  animal  will,  therefore,  assume  a  character  ac- 
cording to  the  state  of  the  system." 

Mr.  Percivall,  V.  S.,  says,  "  The  state  of  the  body,  or  consti- 
tution, will  always  have  considerable  influence  on  the  character 
and  tendency  of  disease.  In  horses  wrhose  bodies  are  and  have 
long  been  in  an  unthriving  and  unhealthy  condition,  a  common 
swollen  leg  will  occasionally  run  into  farcy,  and  a  common  cold 
or  strangles,  or  an  attack  of  influenza,  be  followed  by  glanders. 
In  other  cases,  such  unfortunate  sequels  will  supervene  without 
any  ostensible  or  discoverable  cause." 

We  have  no  doubt  that  a  case  of  glanders  may  be  induced 
under  the  following  circumstances:  Suppose  we  select  a  horse  — 
and  many  such  may  be  found  in  this  city  —  whose  general  health 
shall  be  impaired  ;  let  such  animal  be  exposed  to  the  merciless 

*  In  glanders,  it  is  the  lymphatic,  submaxillary  glands  that  are  affected. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  379 

storm  for  several  hours,  and  he  will  take  what  is  termed,  in 
popular  language,  a  "cold."  Let  him  now  be  treated  according 
to  the  principles  of  the  "kill  or  cure  system"  —  bleeding  and 
purging.  The  secretions  then  become  impaired  ;  loss  of  appetite 
sets  in  ;  the  "  coat  stares  ; "  there  is  a  dull,  sleepy  appearance 
about  the  animal,  and  a  discharge  from  the  nostrils,  at  first  thin 
and  opaque,  but  which  soon  acquires  a  tenacious  and  acrimonious 
character  ;  it  finally  assumes  a  putrid  type,  and  decomposes  parts 
of  the  mucous  surfaces  ;  ulcerations  of  the  cartilage  of  the  nose 
follow,  and  we  have  a  pure  case  of  glanders.  Then,  as.  another 
illustration,  let  us  suppose  that  the  function  of  the  skin  be  im- 
paired, and  the  animal  be  confined  in  a  hot  and  crowded  stable. 
Under  these  circumstances,  the  lungs  have  an  extra  amount  of 
labor  to  perform,  and  soon  become  incapacitated.  We  then 
have  deposits  of  morbific  matter  on  the  mucous  membrane,  which 
corrode,  accumulate,  and  finally  result  in  tubercle  of  the  lungs. 

When  horses  take  cold,  there  is  a  loss  of  equilibrium  between 
the  internal  and  external  relations.  The  reader  must  bear  in 
mind  that  the  mucous  membrane,  which  lines  the  internal  cavi- 
ties, is  a  duplicature  of  the  external  surface ;  but  not  being  ex- 
posed, like  the  skin,  to  the  action  of  external  agents,  it  is  not  so 
strong  nor  so  dense  as  the  latter  ;  yet  it  performs  nearly  the 
same  office.  If  the  action  of  one  is  suppressed,  the  other  imme- 
diately commences  to  perform  the  extra  work  ;  hence  a  common 
cold,  which  contracts  the  excrementitious  vessels  of  the  external 
surface,  also  checks  insensible  perspiration.  Morbific  materials 
now  recede  to  the  mucous  membrane,  producing  a  discharge 
either  from  the  nose  or  eyes  ;  in  some  cases,  however,  pro- 
ducing diarrhoea. 

Whenever  a  horse  has  taken  cold,  the  prudent  owner  will  en- 
deavor to  force  a  crisis,  that  is,  to  relax  the  external  surface, — 
or,  in  other  words,  promote  insensible  perspiration,  —  which  can 
easily  be  accomplished  through  the  aid  of  warmth,  moisture,  and 
irritants  externally,  and  by  giving  sudorific  and  antispasmodic 
medicines  internally.  The  stricture,  if  we  may  so  term  it,  of  the 
surface,  being  thus  relaxed,  permits  the  egress  of  morbific  mat- 
ter, which  would  otherwise  be  thrown  on  the  lungs  or  kidneys. 
If  there  is  not   sufficient  power  in  the  system  to   determine 


380  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

action  to  the  surface,  then  diffusible  stimulants  may  be  re- 
sorted to. 

Improper  stable  management  is  a  more  frequent  cause  of 
catarrh,  glanders,  and  farcy  than  any  other.  The  air  which  is 
necessary  for  the  purposes  of  respiration  must  be  pure,  or  it  will 
irritate  the  lining  membrane  of  the  bronchia  and  their  ramifica- 
tions. Professor  Coleman  relates  a  case  which  proves  to  demon- 
stration the  fatal  agency  of  impure  atmosphere  in  generating 
this  class  of  diseases.  u  In  the  expedition  to  Quiberon,  the  horses 
had  not  been  long  on  board  the  transports  before  it  became  neces- 
sary to  shut  down  the  hatchways ;  the  consequence  of  this  was, 
that  some  of  them  were  suffocated,  and  all  the  rest  were  disem- 
barked either  glandered  or  farcied." 

In  a  close  stable  the  air  is  not  only  vitiated  by  successive  res- 
piration, but  there  are  other  and  more  powerful  sources  of  mis- 
chief. We  allude  to  the  injurious  gases  emanating  from  the 
dung  and  urine. 

In  this  disease,  as  well  as  in  every  other,  "  while  there  is  life 
there  is  hope."  A  horse  should  not  be  condemned  until  he  has 
had  the  benefit  of  veterinary  skill.  We  see  no  good  reason  why 
—  provided  the  disease  be  of  a  tuberculous  form  —  the  animal 
may  not  be  so  far  restored,  if  treated  before  the  finger  of  death 
be  placed  on  him,  as  to  perform  ordinary  work.  We  know  that 
in  the  human  subject,  sooner  or  later,  softening  of  tubercle  usually 
takes  place,  and  the  portions  of  tissue  imbedded  in  the  deposit 
are  at  the  same  time  destroyed ;  the  mingled  morbid  materials 
are  then  thrown  out  of  the  body  by  expectoration,  leaving  behind 
a  cavity,  which  Dame  Nature,  —  a  very  good  doctor,  if  permitted 
to  have  her  own  way  —  soon  fills  up  with  a  semi-cartilaginous 
body,  leaving  only  a  simple  cicatrix  behind.  At  times,  however, 
the  contents  of  the  cavity  are  only  in  part  evacuated,  and  the  re- 
mains form  a  calcareous  mass,  which  soon  becomes  enclosed  in  a 
sac,  and  is  thus  prevented  from  doing  harm.  Why,  then,  may 
not  the  same  thing  take  place  in  the  lungs  of  a  tuberculous  horse  ? 
They  are  organized  after  the  fashion  of  ours  ;  they  introduce  ox- 
ygen into  the  system,  and  liberate  carbonic  acid,  in  the  same 
manner  and  under  the  same  circumstances  as  do  the  lungs  of 
man.     The  difference  in  the  treatment  of  each  may  solve  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOlJ.  381 

problem.  The  human  patient  has  the  advantage  of  medical 
skill  in  the  early  stage  of  his  malady,  under  the  directions  of  his 
own  knowledge,  the  experience  of  kind  friends,  &c. ;  and,  by 
directions  from  the  family  physician,  he  so  regulates  his  mode 
of  life  that  he  is  placed  in  the  most  favorable  circumstances  for 
cooperating  with  nature  and  with  the  physiological  laws  of  his 
being ;  and  his  disease,  although  of  a  tuberculous  character,  may 
be  modified  in  the  manner  just  referred  to,  so  as  not  only  to  render 
him  a  useful  member  of  society,  but  to  lengthen  his  days»  But 
how  striking  is  the  difference  in  regard  to  the  poor  horse  !  He 
will  work  and  toil  to  death  without  uttering  a  groan.  He  labors 
from  day  to  day,  while  the  disease,  in  an  insidious  form,  is  per- 
manently locating  itself  in  the  vital  tissues.  A  slight  cough,  or 
other  premonitory  symptoms,  may  be  present ;  but  generally  they 
are  not  considered  of  any  consequence.  If  the  poor  brute  lags 
in  his  pace,  the  whip  is  brought  into  requisition  to  urge  him  on 
under  his  heavy  load ;  and  after  a  day  of  toil  he  is  often  placed 
under  circumstances  very  unfavorable  for  the  healthy  action  of 
the  vital  forces.  So  soon  as  the  disease  has  approached  to  that 
intensity  as  not  to  be  mistaken,  he  then  becomes  an  object  of 
terror,  neglect,  and  cruelty.  Whereas,  had  the  animal  been 
attended  to  in  the  incipient  stage,  the  disease  might  have  termi- 
nated as  favorably  as  it  ofttimes  does  in  the  human  subject.  It  is 
a  well-known  fact  —  perhaps  confined  within  the  halo  of  the 
profession  —  that  thousands  of  our  most  valuable  horses  annually 
perish  in  consequence  of  neglect  and  ignorance  on  the  part  of 
their  owners.  For  wherever  we  find  the  conditions  which  the 
physiologist  asserts  to  be  most  favorable  to  the  preservation  of 
health  most  completely  fulfilled,  there  do  we  find  glanders  least 
prevail.  A  few  facts  will  place  this  subject  in  a  striking  light : 
A  great  majority  of  the  cases  of  glanders  occur  among  horses 
used  under  railroad  contractions,  where  the  work  is  of  the  most 
laborious  kind,  and  the  owners  are  too  poor  to  furnish  their 
animals  with  good  quarters  and  wholesome  food.  So  directly, 
however,  is  the  health  of  the  horse  promoted  by  comfortable 
quarters,  good  management,  and  nutritious  diet,  that  our  wealthy 
citizens  seldom,  if  ever,  have  a  glandered  horse,  considering, 
however,  that  the  disease  is  of  spontaneous  origin.     The  mortality 


382  TIIK    BIODEBN    HORSE    DOCTOE. 

from  glanders  in  that  densely  populated  city,  London,  is  not 
chargeable  to  any  other  cause  than  criminal  neglect,  indifference, 
and  cruelty. 

We  shall  now  introduce  a  case  tending  to  support  our  propo- 
sition, namely,  that  glanders  may  be  palliated  in  the  same  ratio 
with  its  sister  disease  in  the  human  family — phthisis  puhnonalis. 

The  subject,  a  dark-bay  gelding  of  the  sanguine-bilious  temper- 
ament, aged  eight  years,  was  placed  under  our  care  for  treatment. 
The  following  symptoms  were  recorded :  A  discharge  from  the 
left  nostril  of  a  purulent  grumous  mucus,  which  adhered  to  the 
edges  of  the  part,  and  formed  crusts  of  a  yellow-green  color. 
The  breath  was  extremely  fetid;  the  nasal  membranes  were  of  a 
deep-blue  and  reddish  color,  and  ulcerations  were  apparent  on  the 
nasal  membranes ;  the  submaxillary  lymphatic  glands  on  the 
left  side  slightly  enlarged ;  coat  staring ;  flanks  tucked  up,  and 
appetite  poor  ;  respiration  gurgling. 

Treatment.  —  The  nasal  passages  were  daily  injected  with 
pyroligneous  acid.  The  diet  consisted  of  equal  parts  of  wheaten 
flour  and  oatmeal ;  the  drink,  Cochituate  water,  acidulated  with 
elixir  of  vitriol,  eighty  drops  to  the  bucket.  The  medicinal  agents 
used  were  the  same  as  recommended  for  farcy,  (see  Farcy ;) 
in  addition  to  which,  the  patient  was  occasionally  drenched  with 
brandy  and  salt  —  three  ounces  of  the  former  to  one  of  the 
latter. 

The  treatment  occupied  a  period  of  about  three  weeks  ;  during 
which  time  the  horse  was  kept  in  a  yard  having  a  shed  where  he 
could  retire  in  stormy  weather.  The  ulcerations  of  the  nasal 
membranes  disappeared ;  he  improved  in  condition,  and  had  so 
far  regained  his  former  healthy  appearance  that  he  was  sold  for 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars.  A  period  of  two  years 
has  now  elapsed,  and  our  former  patient  enjoys  good  health, 
with  the  exception,  as  the  owner  informs  us,  of  an  occasional 
cough. 

Regarding  the  causes  of  glanders,  M.  H.  Bouley  considers,  — 

"  I.  That  glanders  is  a  spontaneous  disease  only  with  the  horse 
species,  it  being  in  other  animals  always  the  result  of  contagion, 
that  in  the  horse  species  it  may  be  the  result  of  contagion,  but 
generally  it  is  a  product  of  disordered  or  perverted  nutritive 


TIIE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  383 

action  in  the  system,  and,  consequently,  is  in  its  origin  peculiar 
to  the  horse  species. 

"  II.  That  this  exclusive  generative  faculty  is  coincident  with 
the  exclusive  uses  to  which  horses  are  put ;  the  horse  being  that 
vital  machine  which  is  employed  for  moving  great  weights  or 
overcoming  great  resistance. 

"  III.  Oxen,  in  some  localities,  are  likewise  so  employed ;  but 
then  they  do  their  work  always  at  a  tardy  pace,  so  slow,  indeed, 
that  it  does  not  interfere  with  rumination ;  while  horses,  on  the 
contrary,  almost  always  work  with  more  rapidity,  and  oftentimes 
are  compelled  to  carry  great  weights  at  the  same  rapid  pace. 
And,  moreover,  the  horse,  nervous  and  excitable  by  nature,  freely 
gives  himself  up  to  such  rapid  movements,  expending  thereby  so 
much  more  strength  in  any  given  time  than  the  bullock  in  his 
slow  movement. 

"  IV.  Excess  of  such  kind  of  labor  appears  to  be  one  of  the 
causes  of  the  horse's  deterioration  and  wearing  out.  And  so 
glanders,  viewed  as  the  result  of  excessive  action  in  the  living 
organ,  is  nothing  more,  in  a  great  number  of  cases,  than  the 
effect  of  exhaustion  induced  by  labor  to  which  the  powers  of  the 
animal  were  inadequate. 

"  V.  But  how  does  this  excessive  work  produce  exhaustion 
and  premature  wearing  out  of  the  machine  ?  Modern  science 
furnishes  us  with  an  answer  to  this  question  of  a  more  precise 
and  satisfactory  description  than  formerly  could  have  been  given. 

"  VI.  Animal  life  is  sustained  through  veritable  combustion. 
Pulmonary  exhalation  proves  this.  The  air  expired  from  the  lungs 
contains  the  products  of  combustion  —  carbonic  acid  and  water. 
The  combustible  matter  entering  into  the  constitution  of  the 
organism  is  therein  incessantly  separated  and  eliminated  through 
the  agency  of  the  affinity  of  the  oxygen  absorbed  upon  the  pul- 
monary surface.  It  is  the  same  with  the  incombustible  matter, 
azote ;  that  being  separated  from  its  various  combinations  when- 
ever the  oxygen  exerted  its  affinity,  and  becoming  eliminated 
through  the  urinary  passages. 

"  The  effect  of  the  air,  then,  introduced  into  the  system  through 
the  respiratory  passages,  is  incessantly  to  destroy  organic  com- 
binations, and  eliminate  their  products  in  a  state  of  combustion, 


384  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

(carbonic  acid  and  water,)  through  the  lungs  and  skin.  Those 
incombustible,  azotic  matters,  separated  from  the  blood  in  tho 
form  of  urea,  pass  through  the  urinary  channels.  The  oxygen 
of  the  air  is  continually  producing  combustion  and  decompo- 
sition of  the  living  animal  fibre. 

"VII.  This  action  of  combustion  and  decomposition  is  the 
more  potent  the  more  the  acts  of  respiration  and  circulation  are 
accelerated,  and  the  contact  of  the  air  with  the  blood  becomes,  in 
consequence,  the  oftener  repeated. 

"  Work  cannot  be  performed  without  the  acts  of  respiration  and 
the  pulsations  of  the  heart  becoming  more  energetic,  and  pro- 
portionably  so  with  the  speed  and  intensity  of  the  work  ;  the 
consequence  of  which  is,  to  bring  the  organic  fibre  oftener  into 
the  presence  of  oxygen,  and  so  to  hasten  combustion  and 
decomposition. 

"  Chemical  analysis  shows  that  the  products  of  combustion, 
exhaled  through  the  skin  and  lungs,  after  a  rapid  course  are  con- 
siderably augmented  ;  consequently,  decomposition  becomes  aug- 
mented under  such  circumstances.  I  pass  over,  in  this  estimate 
of  the  causes  of  wear  and  tear  in  the  animal  machine,  the  nervous 
exhaustion  consequent  on  muscular  contraction,  because,  although 
I  attach  great  importance  to  them,  in  this  discussion  they  are  not 
necessary  for  my  demonstration. 

"  VIII.    The  orgasm  is  opposed  to  this  oxidation,  — 

"  1.  By  virtue  of  the  innate  force  of  cohesion  existing  between 
its  component  particles  —  a  force  which  for  a  certain  time  is  able 
to  counteract  the  affinity  resulting  from  the  action  of  oxygen. 

"  2.  And  especially  through  the  continually  renewed  influence 
of  the  aliments  introduced  in  sufficient  quantity  into  the  digestive 
apparatus  for  furnishing  the  living  tissue  with  the  elements 
proper  for  its  reparation,  and  the  oxygen  of  the  air  with  com- 
bustible matters  fit  for  the  development  and  completion  of  its 
affinities,  and  through  combination  with  it,  for  the  production  of 
the  required  animal  heat. 

"  IX.  But  if,  while  we  are  exacting  continually  from  the 
animal  machine  a  large  demand  of  strength,  —  which,  as  I  said 
before,  entails  the  introduction  of  a  considerable  quantity  of  at- 
mospheric air  into  the  air  passages,  —  we  do  not  afford  a  suf- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  385 

ficient  supply  of  alimentary  substance,  —  that  is  to  say,  of  azotic 
and  combustible  matters,  —  the  oxygen  may  exert  its  affinities  on 
the  matter  actually  composing  the  organs  themselves,  determin- 
ing a  rapid  decomposition,  and  finally  producing  with  the  azotic 
matter  a  new  principle,  endowed  with  powerful  novel  affinities, 
expediting  by  its  presence  the  decomposition  of  the  orgasm,  and 
discovering  itself  during  life  by  that  cohort  of  symptoms  and 
derangements  which  characterize  glanders. 

"  This  active  principle,  the  result  of  the  extreme  oxidation  of 
the  system,  analogous  in  its  origin  and  progress  to  ferments,  is 
glandered  virus.  I  am,  indeed,  struck  with  the  analogy  existing 
between  the  mode  of  generation  of  glandered  ferment  in  the 
living  body,  under  the  influence  of  the  oxygen  of  the  air,  and 
ferments  which  are  concocted  without  vitality  through  the  affini- 
ties of  the  same  gas. 

"  *  *  *  Now,  may  we  not  admit  that,  in  the  vital  orgasm, 
azotic  matter,  continually  coming  into  contact  with  the  oxygen 
of  the  air,  may  become  converted  into  a  peculiar  ferment,  the 
same  as  we  behold  in  the  dead  body,  the  organic  substance  turn- 
ing into  putrid  ferment  through  the  combined  action  of  air  and 
water  and  moderate  heat  ?  There  is  an  approximation  here 
which  has  something  specious  about  it. 

"  Once  produced,  in  whatever  way  it  may  be  generated,  glan- 
dered ferment  is  certainly  accompanied  by  ulterior  phenomena 
in  the  system  which  bear  the  closest  analogy  to  those  of  recog- 
nized fermentation.  Placed  in  contact  with  matter  capable  of 
feeding  it,  the  glandered  principle  assimilates  it,  and  greatly 
hastens  the  organic  decompositions.  In  fact,  chemical  analysis 
seems  to  demonstrate  that  the  exhalation  of  carbonic  acid  is 
much  more  considerable  in  an  animal  under  the  influence  of 
glandered  fermentation,  than,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression, 
in  an  animal  in  health.  Such  is  the  theory ;  let  us  now  consider 
the  facts. 

"  X.  Experience  has  shown,  and  every  day  still  shows,  that 
incessant  work,  without  rest,  such  as  is  exacted  of  horses  in  cer- 
tain undertakings,  is  one  of  the  most  frequent  causes  of  glanders, 
acute  and  chronic,  but  principally  of  acute.  No  discussion,  I 
should  imagine,  will  arise  on  this  point,  it  being  an  acknowledged 


386  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

fact  set  forth  every  year  in  the  comptes  rendus  of  the  Alfort 
School. 

"  It  is  no  less  certain  that,  in  the  greatest  number  of  cases, 
whenever  a  horse  becomes  glandered  from  over  work,  it  falls 
greatly  off  in  condition  before  the  disease  makes  its  appearance 
—  a  fact  which  accords  with  the  great  exhalation  of  carbonic 
acid  and  water,  the  fatal  consequences  of  the  activity  of  the  re- 
spiratory and  circulatory  functions. 

"  On  the  other  hand,  whenever  glanders  has  declared  itself, 
the  horse  rapidly  falls  off — he  becomes  a  dog-horse  —  and  this 
disappearance  of  his  fat  coincides  with  the  augmented  exhalation 
of  carbonic  acid,  which  becomes  remarkable  at  the  period  of 
eruptive  and  acute  glanders. 

"  Another  fact  is,  that  the  influence  of  excessive  work  may  be 
counteracted,  and  even  rendered  harmless,  by  a  large  reparative 
alimentation.  Demonstrative  experience  of  this  passed  under 
our  eyes,  on  a  very  extensive  scale  too,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
construction  of  the  fortifications  of  Paris.  The  horses  worked 
hard  in  draught  became  glandered  or  not,  according  as  they  be- 
longed to  masters  who  could  afford  to  (and  did)  keep  them  well 
or  not.  Most  of  the  glandered  horses  were  the  property  of  un- 
fortunate piece-workers,  (idcherons,)  knowing  little  of  the  man- 
agement of  horses,  and  too  parsimonious  of  their  feed ;  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  disease  spared  such  as  were  well  fed  by 
wealthy  contractors,  undertaking  the  work  on  their  own  account. 

"XI.  The  laboring  ox  is  not  subject,  on  account  of  being 
worked  up,  to  any  disease  having  the  least  analogy  with  glanders. 
Not  to  notice  his  difference  of  organization,  which  is  a  principal 
consideration  in  this  question,  I  contend  that  the  difference  of 
results  from  the  same  cause  in  the  bullock  and  the  horse  is  owing 
to  the  modes  of  using  them,  to  the  constant  slowness  of  pace  of 
the  one,  and  the  occasional  and  frequent  rapidity  of  that  of  the 
other.  This  difference  may  cease  to  exist  whenever  the  ox  is 
forced  into  quick  work,  and  especially  should  he  be  fat  at  the 
time.  In  such  condition,  under  the  influence  of  hurried  respira- 
tion, oxidation  of  the  combustible  elements  takes  place  with  so 
great  rapidity  that  the  exhalation  of  the  carbonic  acid  product 
cannot  get  vent  with  sufficient  celerity,  and  the  consequence  is, 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  387 

the  animal  dies  asphyxiated  or  charbonneux.  In  this  case,  a  new 
principle,  a  ferment,  becomes  generated  in  the  blood  under  the 
influence  of  extreme  oxidation. 

"  XII.  I  am  not  to  be  supposed  to  admit  that  in  every  case 
glanders  is  the  result  of  extreme  oxidation.  I  reserve  this  inter- 
pretation for  one  cause  alone  of  the  disease,  viz.,  over-work."  — 
London  Veterinarian. 

FARCY. 

Authorities  define  farcy  to  be  a  disease  of  the  lymphatic  ves- 
sels, making  its  appearance  in  the  form  of  circular  swellings, 
termed  farcy  buds,  which  terminate  in  a  discharge  and  ulcer- 
ation. 

Symptoms.  —  The  horse  usually  exhibits  some  symptoms  of  a 
deranged  condition ;  sometimes,  however,  scarcely  noticeable,  at 
others  very  apparent.  The  horse  is  not  in  his  usual  spirits, 
appears  dull,  and  does  not  partake  of  food  with  his  accustomed 
relish.  Some  horses  will  have  febrile  symptoms,  pulse  quicker 
than  natural,  mouth  hot,  urine  high-colored,  &c. ;  others  are 
suddenly  attacked  with  a  swollen  leg.  Horses  often  become  sud- 
denly lame  in  one  of  the  hind  extremities.  Mr.  Percivall  re- 
marks, "  I  have  known  horses  so  lame  from  farcy,  before  the 
disease  had  in  any  local  or  characteristic  form  declared  itself, 
that  shoes  have  been  removed,  and  feet  searched,  &c,  to  discover 
the  cause  and  seat  of  lameness,  no  suspicion  having  existed,  at 
the  time,  that  farcy  was  present  in  the  animal's  system.  It  may 
so  happen,  however,  that  none  of  these  preliminary  symptoms 
are  observed  or  observable  ;  that,  on  the  contrary,  farcy  at  once 
develops  in  an  attack  on  some  locality  —  most  probably  one  hind 
limb.  Indeed,  so  sudden,  sharp,  and  severe  are  attacks  of  farcy 
in  some  instances,  that  in  the  course  of  one  night  the  horse's 
limb  will  be  swollen  to  a  frightful  size,  so  as  to  incapacitate  him 
almost  from  turning  in  his  stall  and  walking  out  of  the  stable. 

"  Ordinarily  the  development  of  farcy  plainly  accounts  for  the 
halting  or  lameness  ;  now  and  then,  however,  the  lameness  ap- 
pears without  any  ostensible  cause. 

"  Viewing  the  affected  limb  from  behind,  we  perceive  a  fulness 
on  the  inside  of  the  thigh,  along  the  course  of  the  femoral  vein  ; 


888  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR, 

and  the  application  of  our  finger  to  this  will  immediately  detect 
a  corded,  nodous  swelling,  which  has  been  happily  enough,  in  the 
sensation  it  conveys  to  our  feel,  compared  to  a  *  cord  ivith  so 
many  knots  tied  in  it.'  This  is  at  once  declarative  of  disease  in 
the  lymphatic  vessels  —  of  the  presence  of  farcy. 

"  Tracing  the  cord  upward  from  its  place  of  origin,  which  com- 
monly is  above  the  hock,  the  hand  is  carried  into  the  groin,  and 
there  discovers  a  lobulated  tumor,  a  swelling  of  the  inguinal 
glands,  which  may,  without  impropriety,  be  called  a  bubo  ;  some- 
times, however,  the  bubo  does  not  make  its  appearance  until  after 
the  full  development  of  the  cord. 

"  Farcy  does  not  at  all  times  commence  its  attack  in  this  open 
and  unambiguous  form  ;  on  occasions  it  presents  itself  in  a  shape 
so  insidious,  that  at  first  we  hardly  suspect  it  to  be  farcy,  unless 
there  happen  to  be  present  circumstances  to  induce  suspicions  of 
its  existence.  Sometimes  one  of  the  limbs,  most  likely  the  hind, 
will  swell  below  instead  of  above  the  hock,  and  the  swelling  will 
increase  around  the  fetlock,  and  an  abscess  will  form  there.  In 
other  cases,  blotches  or  isolated  pustules  will  break  out  upon  the 
limbs,  more  likely  upon  the  inner  than  the  outer  sides  of  them, 
or  upon  the  body,  or  upon  the  shoulders,  neck,  breast,  or  quarters  ; 
and  these  will  break  and  discharge  among  the  hair,  clothing  those 
parts  with  an  ichorous  or  dirty-looking  thin  puriform  matter." 

These  are  the  general  symptoms  of  farcy :  if  any  doubt,  how- 
ever, exists  as  to  the  nature  of  the  disease,  it  will  in  a  few  days, 
sometimes  in  a  few  hours,  be  dispelled  by  observing  corded  lym- 
phatics issuing  from  these  patches,  which  soon  become  running  sores. 

A  case  of  farcy  came  under  our  observation  a  short  time  ago. 
The  subject  had  for  some  time  been  suffering  under  constitutional 
derangement,  gradually  losing  his  appetite  and  flesh.  An  influ- 
enza was  now  prevailing  in  the  stable,  which  attacked  all  the  in- 
mates. The  one  alluded  to  had  a  fetid  discharge  from  the  nose, 
differing  from  that  of  the  other  horses;  and  soon  farcy  buds 
made  their  appearance,  accompanied  by  swelling  of  the  legs. 
The  fetid  breath,  together  with  the  constitutional  symptoms, 
would  seem  to  favor  the  hypothesis  that  the  patient  was  a  sub- 
ject of  deep-seated  farcy,  and,  probably,  had  been  such  for  a 
length  of  time.     It  was  thought  advisable  to  destroy  this  animal. 


THE    MODERN    HORSB    DOCTOR.  389 

The  others  all  recovered ;  four  of  the  number,  however,  having 
swollen  legs,  were  permitted  to  run  a  few  days  at  grass  before 
they  could  be  put  to  work.  Veterinary  writers  speak  of  several 
forms  of  farcy  ;  but  these  are  only  varieties  of  the  same  disease, 
differing  only  in  their  symptoms  and  duration,  assuming  a  mild 
or  malignant  form,  as  the  case  may  be,  in  exact  ratio  to  the 
general  health  of  the  subject. 

The  first  stage  of  farcy  is  tumefaction  of  the  lymphatics  — 
"  development  of  the  farcy  bud." 

The  second  stage  is  commonly  a  suppurative  one,  terminating 
in  a  farcy  ulcer.  After  passing  through  these  two  stages,  the 
disease  may,  and  frequently  does,  terminate  in  glanders.  Hence 
the  prognosis  of  farcy,  in  most  cases,  is  considered  unfavorable ; 
yet,  when  it  attacks  horses  in  good  condition,  some  hopes  may  be 
entertained  of  a  cure.  In  the  diagnosis  of  farcy  we  are  not  apt 
to  be  mistaken,  provided  we  keep  in  mind  the  language  of  a  dis- 
tinguished veterinary  writer,  who  says,  "  No  swelling  of  a  hind 
limb  (or  any  other  part)  constitutes  a  case  of  farcy  apart  from 
the  unequivocal  signs  of  lymphatic  disease  ;  there  must  be  pres- 
ent corded,  nodulated  swrellings,  —  buds  in  some  form  or  other, — 
together  with  actual  or  approaching  tumefaction  of  the  lymphatic 
glands,  or  the  case  is  not  farcy." 

"  I  cannot  help  thinking,"  says  the  same  author,  "  from  accounts 
I  have  perused  in  some  veterinary  works,  that  both  glanders  and 
farcy  have  been  mistaken  ;  or,  rather,  that  diseases  of  another 
kind  have  been  mistaken  for  them,  and  for  farcy  oftener  than  for 
glanders.  One  disease  in  particular,  and  one  that  is  by  no  means 
so  very  rare  in  its  occurrence,  I  feel  quite  certain  has  been  called 
by  the  name  of  farcy,  and  under  this  appellation  appears  to  have 
been  '  cured,'  and  to  have  been  recorded  as  such.  The  disease 
I  allude  to  is  that  which  is  now  known  by  the  name  of  diffuse 
inflammation  of  the  cellular  membrane  —  a  disease  consisting  in 
the  generally  sudden  appearance  of  lumps  or  patches  of  sub- 
cutaneous effusion  of  a  solid  and  even  firm  description,  attended 
by  oedematous,  swollen  states  of  the  limbs,  belly,  sheath,  &c. ; 
and  thus  having,  so  far,  the  character  of  water  farcy.*     But  in 

*  What  was  in  former  times  known  as  water  farcy  is  now  understood  as  super- 
ficial dropsy  —  an  effusion  into  the  cellular  tissue. 

33* 


390  THE    MODKliS    HOK3E    DOCTOR. 

theae  cases,  let  it  be  well  observed  that  there  is  no  lymphatic  dis- 
ease, nothing  like  farcy  buds  and  cords ;  in  which  circumstance 
it  is  (connected  with  the  course  and  termination  these  respective 
diseases  are  seen  to  have)  that  we  are  to  seek  for  a  correct  diag- 
nosis. But  how  are  we  to  distinguish  farcy  buds  from  some 
cutaneous  eruptions  —  from  surfeits  *  —  which  appear  so  much 
like  them  ?  There  is  but  one  species  of  farcy  for  which  these 
eruptions  can  be  mistaken;  and  that  is  the  diffuse  or  broadcast 
variety — the  button  farcy.  Now,  should  the  attack  be  farcy, 
the  probability  is,  from  its  being  a  general  one,  that  the  animal 
will  show  signs  of  ill  health  at  the  time ;  whereas  a  horse  that 
has  '  broken  out  in  a  surfeit  all  over  his  body,'  is  commonly  in 
unusually  good,  what  is  termed  fine  condition.  Then,  again, 
surfeit  lunqys  are  often  large  and  irregular  in  form,  and  frequently 
appear  in  patches ;  whereas  the  buds  of  button  farcy  are  small, 
and  regularly  spheroid  in  shape,  and  spread  pretty  uniformly 
over  the  body.  Again,  surfeit  eruptions  are  often  but  of  an  hour 
or  two  continuance  —  rarely  are  they  visible  on  the  following 
day  ;  any  doubt,  therefore,  that  may  impend  over  the  case  is  not 
likely  to  be  of  lengthened  duration." 

The  causes  of  farcy  exist  in.  any  thing  that  deranges  the  lym- 
phatic system ;  and  probably  the  same  causes  that  operate,  either 
by  contagion  or  otherwise,  to  produce  glanders,  will  produce 
farcy.  "  By  inoculation,  farcy  has  been  produced  by  the  matter 
of  glanders,  and  glanders  by  the  matter  of  farcy ;  and,  conse- 
quently, there  is  every  reason  to  infer  a  similarity,  or  rather  an 
identity,  in  the  viruses  of  the  two  diseases  ;  and  in  further  proof 
of  this,  as  we  said  before,  one  disease,  or  form  of  disease,  almost 
invariably  terminates  in  the  other  prior  to  dissolution.  There 
can  be  no  question  but  that  the  same  contaminated  Or  miasmatic 
atmosphere  of  the  stable  or  elsewhere,  which  produces  glanders, 
may  occasion  farcy,  and  vice  versa" 

Treatment  of  Farcy.  —  The  patient  should  be  placed  in  a 
well-ventilated  stable ;  if,  however,  the  season  permits,  a  run  at 
grass,  in  the  daytime,  will  be  preferable.     Pure  air  and  green 


*  Surfeit.     A  disease  of  the  skin,  consisting  in  an  eruption  of  small  pustules. 
It  appears  to  arise  from  a  diseased  state  of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  —  White. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  391 

food,  combined,  are  almost  certain  to  produce  a  favorable  effect ; 
for  pure  air  decarbonizes  the  blood,  deprives  it  of  those  impuri- 
ties which  abound  in  farcy  subjects,  and  at  the  same  time  distends 
the  lungs  to  their  normal  capacity  ;  by  which  means  the  blood  is 
circulated  with  more  force  to  the  extreme  vessels.  The  green 
food,  while  its  action  is  alterative,  provides  for  the  laxity  of  the 
bowels,  keeps  them  free  and  unobstructed,  and  entirely  dispenses 
with  cathartic  medicine  ;  the  latter  being  generally  considered 
necessary  to  clear  out  the  bowels  ;  but  in  our  opinion,  the  "  brisk 
dose  of  cathartic  medicine,"  so  highly  extolled  by  some,  is  calcu- 
lated to  produce  unfavorable  results,  especially  if  the  patient 
shall  be  in  a  state  of  debility.  Any  man  who  has  ever  been 
foolish  enough  to  practise  the  common  error  of  periodical  dosing 
with  salts  and  senna,  castor  oil,  <fcc,  can  testify  as  to  their  pros- 
trating effects  ;  but  this  is  only  an  item  in  the  catalogue  of  evils  ; 
great  pain,  griping,  loss  of  appetite,  subsequent  constipation  and 
dyspepsia,  are  the  consequences  of  cathartics  and  purgation. 
Therefore,  if  the  fecal  accumulations  can  be  got  rid  of  under 
the  exhibition  of  so  safe  and  desirable  an  agent  as  grass,  it  is 
certainly  to  be  preferred  to  the  t7*ipe-scouring  compounds  of 
the  day. 

The  grass  may  perhaps  act  as  a  cathartic,  especially  if  the  sub- 
ject has  been  accustomed  to  corn  and  oats :  if  this  should  be  the 
case,  a  sufficient  quantity  of  dry  food  should  be  allowed  to  supply 
the  waste  of  the  body  and  promote  the  living  integrity;  for  with- 
out oil  the  light  will  go  out,  and  food  is  to  the  system  what  oil  is 
to  the  light ;  therefore,  in  such  case,  a  liberal  allowance  of  nutri- 
tious food  will  be  indicated. 

When  green  food  cannot  be  obtained,  a  sort  of  substitute  can 
be  compounded,  consisting  of  boiled  carrots,  beets,  and  turnips, 
thickened  with  shorts  or  fine  feed,  and  the  whole  pounded  up  to- 
gether, to  which  a  tablespoonful  of  salt  may  be  added. 

As  regards  the  drink,  we  need  only  observe  that  pure  water, 
in  small  quantities,  is  perhaps  the  best ;  yet  if  the  patient  be  in 
exceedingly  poor  condition,  he  may  then  be  allowed  two  quarts 
of  hay  tea  and  a  pint  of  fresh  cow's  milk  twice  a  day. 

Animals  suffering  from  either  glanders  or  farcy  should  have 


392  THE   MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

a  liberal  supply  of  common  salt.*  A  quantity  should  be  placed 
in  a  situation  were  the  animal  can  help  himself;  in  addition  to 
which  the  food  should  be  salted. 

Medicines.  — '■  These  must  possess  the  following  properties  :  — 

1.  Antiseptic.  —  To  preserve  the  system  from  putrescence. 
The  principal  one  is  pyroligneous  acid ;  dose,  one  ounce,  twice  a 
day,  in  a  pint  of  sage  tea. 

2.  Alterative.  —  To  change  morbid  action,  the  following  is  an 

example :  — 

Phosphate  of  lime, 1  ounce, 

Powdered  sarsaparilla,   }     -  M.  «.    .  „„M 

«        sassafras,         \  of  each    "     '  °  ounccs' 

"        assafcotida, 1  ounce. 

*  Saline  matters  are  essential  constituents  of  the  blood,  of  the  organized 
tissues,  and  of  the  secretions.  They  are,  therefore,  necessary  components  of 
our  food  ;  for  without  them  health  and  vitality  cannot  be  maintained. 

The  alimentary  salts,  which,  on  account  of  their  occurring  more  frequently  and 
largely  in  the  system,  may  be  regarded  as  of  the  most  importance  in  a  dietetical 
point  of  view,  are  common  salt  and  the  earthy  phosphates.  Ferruginous 
compounds  (salts  ?)  and  probably  salts  of  potash,  are  also  indispensable  ingre- 
dients of  our  food. 

1.  Common  Salt,  (Chloride  of  Sodium.) —  Though  salt  is  a  constituent  of 
most  of  our  foods  and  drinks,  we  do  not,  in  this  way,  obtain  a  sufficient  supply 
of  it  to  satisfy  the  wants  of  the  system ;  and  nature  has  accordingly  furnished 
us  with  an  appetite  for  it.  The  salt,  therefore,  which  we  consume  at  our  table 
as  a  condiment,  in  reality  serves  other  and  far  more  important  purposes  in  the 
animal  economy  than  that  of  merely  gratifying  the  palate.  It  is  a  necessary 
article  of  food,  being  essential  for  the  preservation  of  health  and  the  mainte- 
nance of  life. 

It  forms  an  essential  constituent  of  blood,  which  fluid  doubtless  owes  many 
of  its  important  qualities  to  it.  Thus  it  probably  contributes  to  keep  the  blood 
corpuscles  unchanged ;  for  when  these  are  put  into  water,  a  powerful  and  rapid 
endosmose  takes  place,  in  consequence  of  which  they  swell  up  and  assume  a 
globular  form  ;  whereas  in  a  weak  solution  of  salt  they  remain  unchanged.  In 
malignant  cholera,  and  some  other  diseases  in  which  there  is  a  deficiency  of 
the  saline  ingredients  of  the  blood,  this  fluid  has  a  very  dark,  or  even  black 
appearance ;  whence  it  has  been  assumed  by  some  writers  that  the  red  color  of 
the  blood  is  dependent  on  the  presence  of  its  saline  ingredients.  From  the  salt 
of  the  blood,  aided  by  water,  the  gastric  juice  derives  its  hydrochloric  acid,  and 
the  blood  and  the  bile  their  soda.  The  soda  which  exists  in  the  blood,  in  com- 
bination with  albumen,  passes  out  of  the  system  in  union  with  organic  matter, 
(C70  HG6  N2  O22)  represented  by  choleic  acid :  in  other  words,  bile  contains  the 
elements  of  choleate  of  soda,  thoxigh  not  necessarily  arranged  as  such.  Last- 
ly, "  the  soda,  which  has  been  used  in  the  vital  processes,  and  any  excess  of 
soda,  must  be  expelled  in  the  form  of  salt,  after  being  separated  from  the  blood 
by  the  kidney."  —  Liebig. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  393 

Mix  ;  and  divide  into  twenty-four  powders  ;  one  to  be  given, 

night  and  morning,  in  thin  gruel. 

3.  Stimulant.  —  To  arouse  vital  action,  the  chief  are  capsicum 

and  ginger.     The  author  has  used  the  following  preparation  with 

considerable  success :  — 

Iodine,  (reduced  to  powder,)      .  '.     .     .     4  scruples, 

Proof  spirit, 4  ounces, 

Tincture  of  capsicum  or  ginger,     ...     6  ounces. 

Dose,  one  ounce,  twice  a  day,  in  thin  gruel. 
Another. 

Hydriodate  of  potassium, 20  grains. 

Dissolve  in  a  pint  of  water ;  then  add  one  ounce  of  tincture  of 
ginger.     To  be  repeated  daily. 

Such  are  the  remedies  on  which  our  hopes  of  cure  are  to  be 
founded  ;  they  are  not  to  be  given  conjointly,  but  separately,  as 
the  various  stages  of  the  disease  indicate. 

Should  the  horse's  hind  limbs  be  enormously  swollen,  so  that 

he  cannot  move  about  without  inconvenience  and  pain,  then  the 

following  drench  must  be  administered  :  — 

Powdered  Socotrine  aloes, 4  drachms, 

Tincture  of  gentian, 4  drachms, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre, 3  drachms, 

Sirup  of  garlic, 1  ounce, 

Flour  gruel, 1  pint. 

Mix. 

It  will  probably  not  be  necessary  to  repeat  this  dose ;  in  fact, 
we  should  not  recommend  the  aloes,  were  it  not  that  the  horse  is 
now  unable  to  seek  an  equivalent  in  the  pasture,  and  the  grave 
nature  of  the  case  calls  for  some  agent  capable  of  producing  a 
change  in  the  system  diverting  the  fluid  (which  is  now  accumu- 
lating in  the  cellular  tissues  of  the  limbs)  from  the  parts  to  the 
central  membranes.  Lest  we  may  not  be  understood  by  the 
reader,  (non-professional,)  we  remark,  that  aloes  act  as  a  me- 
chanical irritant  on  the  alimentary  surfaces,  and  a  copious  secre- 
tion of  fluid  from  those  surfaces  always  follows  the  exhibition  of 
drastic  medicine. 

The  swollen,  hot,  and  tense  state  of  the  limb  calls  for  some 
local  application.  We  therefore  first  wash  the  parts  with  a 
weak  ley  of  saleratus,  and  afterwards  apply  astringents,  com- 
posed of  a  strong  infusion  of  one  of  the  following  articles :  bay- 


39-4  THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 

berry,  white  oak,  nutgalls,  gum  catechu.  Bandages  moistened 
with  equal  parts  of  vinegar  and  water  form  a  good  evaporating, 
cooling  lotion,  when  pain  and  inflammation  are  evident;  yet, 
after  all,  voluntary  exercise,  such  as  the  animal  will  take  while 
procuring  food  in  the  pasture,  will  generally  have  a  better  effect 
on  a  tumefied  limb  than  all  the  local  applications  we  can  make. 

The  local  treatment  of  farcy  buds  is  a  matter  of  importance  ; 
for  the  discharge  from  them  is  sometimes  so  corrosive,  irri- 
tating, that  it  destroys  the  surrounding  skin  and  subcellular 
parts.  White  and  some  other  writers  recommend  the  most  de- 
structive poisons  as  topical  applications,  such  as  corrosive  sub- 
limate, muriatic  acid,  lunar  caustic,  red  precipitate  —  in  effect, 
no  doubt,  setting  up  a  worse  disease  than  the  one  already 
present.  In  such  articles  we  have  no  faith  :  on  the  contrary, 
we  consider  them  first-rate  poisons,  capable  of  altering,  and  in  a 
great  majority  of  cases  destroying,  one  or  more  of  the  functions 
necessary  to  the  support  of  life.  The  following  will  form  the 
best  local  application  we  know  of:  — 

Pyroligneous  acid, 1  pint, 

Tincture  of  bloodroot, 1  gill, 

Linseed  oil, ^  gill. 

Mix,  and  wet  the  farcy  buds  with  it  morning  and  evening. 


WET  PACKING. 

The  method  of  local  treatment,  after  the  fashion  of  hydropa- 
thy, is  thus  described  by  Surgeon  Haycock :  — 

"  In  the  first  place,  procure  the  following  articles,  of  the  best 
quality  of  their  kind ;  namely,  two  pieces  of  strong,  coarse  linen, 
or  harding  wrappers,  one  piece  of  which  must  be  seven  yards  in 
length,  the  other  three  yards  in  length,  and  both  of  them  four 
feet  in  width;  also, four  linen  bandages  of  the  usual  width,  and 
each  of  them  six  yards  in  length;  or,  what  would  be  better, 
eight  linen  bandages,  each  bandage  three  yards  in  length ;  also, 
two  pieces  of  coarse  woollen  cloth,  very  firm,  but  soft  and  per- 
fectly pliable  in  its  nature,  of  the  same  length  and  width  as  the 
two  pieces  of  harding  wrapper  ;  also,  eight  woollen  bandages,  of 
the  same  length  as  the  linen  ones ;  also,  three  or  four  large  wool- 


THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR.  395 

len  rugs,  such  as  horses  are  usually  clothed  with  in  cold  weather ; 
also,  a  number  of  strong  iron  skewers,  a  strong  packing  needle, 
and  several  yards  of  thick  string.  Having  procured  the  above 
articles,  (for  recollect  it  is  worse  than  useless  not  to  have  them 
of  a  sufficient  number,  size,  width,  and  length,)  the  second  step 
is  to  use  them  properly  ;  and  upon  this  depends  entirely  the  suc- 
cess of  the  operation.  Take  the  linen  sheets  and  the  linen  band- 
ages, and  immerse  them  in  a  large  quantity  of  clean  cold  water,  (the 
colder  the  wTater  the  better,)  and  stir  them  about  in  the  writer, 
so  that  the  whole  may  become  thoroughly  saturated.  Thirdly, 
take  the  large  sheet  out  of  the  water,  roll  it  up  the  short  way, 
and  give  it  a  turn  or  two  for  the  purpose  of  forcing  out  the 
loose  water  which  it  may  contain,  and  giving  this  into  the  hands 
of  an  assistant,  (of  which  the  operation  will  require  two  or  three.) 
he  must  then  strip  the  patient  of  all  clothing,  and  freely  sponge 
its  body  with  cold  water  from  the  chine  to  the  loins,  embracing 
the  sides,  and  under  the  abdomen  ;  then  take  the  wet  sheet,  — 
rolled  as  it  is,  —  lay  it  upon  the  patient's  back  parallel  to  the 
spine,  and,  holding  firm  the  loose  end,  let  an  assistant  roll  it 
firmly  round  and  round  the  body  as  tight  as  possible ;  then  take 
the  longer  of  the  woollen  wrappers,  (not  the  woollen  horse  rugs,) 
and  roll  it  also  firmly  round  the  body,  and  upon  the  top  of  the 
wet  sheet,  and  secure  its  loose  end  with  two  or  three  of  the  iron 
skewers ;  and  upon  the  top  of  this  again  fold  a  large  woollen 
rug,  which  make  secure  where  the  ends  meet  with  the  needle 
and  thick  string.  In  precisely  the  same  manner  apply  the 
smaller  of  the  wet  sheets  to  the  neck,  (but  here  a  little  difficulty 
may  arise,  which  will  require  careful  attention  —  the  necks  of 
well-bred  horses  are  frequently  very  thin  and  spare,  and  they  re- 
quire in  this  process  to  be  packed  :  the  best  packing  is  made  with 
a  roll  of  wool,  one  roll  of  which  is  fixed  on  each  side  of  the  neck 
in  the  hollow,  running  parallel  with  the  windpipe,)  which  fold 
with  the  lesser  woollen  sheet,  and  above  it  again  with  a  woollen 
rug,  made  secure  as  above  described.  Then  repeat  the  process 
upon  every  one  of  the  limbs,  and  fold  above  the  wet  bandages 
the  dry  woollen  ones.  To  complete  the  operation,  all  that  is 
now  required  is  to  spread  over  the  patient  the  dry  woollen  rugs : 
the  one  placed  over  the  body  make  secure  with  a  broad  surcingle, 


3VG  THE    MODERN   HORSE   DOCTOR. 

while  the  one  upon  the  neck  may  hang  loose,  after  which  close 
the  box,  and  leave  the  animal  alone  for  three  or  four  hours, 
or  even  more :  it  may  always  be  known,  however,  when  the 
cloths  have  been  on  long  enough,  by  simply  passing  the  hand 
under  them  and  feeling  the  state  of  the  skin ;  and  if  the  skin  be 
wet  and  hot,  do  not  disturb  them  ;  but  if  the  skin  be  dry,  or  nearly 
so,  and  the  linen  cloths  are  also  dry,  or  in  a  dryish  state,  remove 
the  whole  at  once,  and  put  upon  the  patient  fresh,  dry,  comfort- 
able clothing ;  the  quantity  of  such  clothing  necessary  will,  of 
course,  depend  upon  the  season  of  the  year,  and  the  temperature 
of  the  weather.  After  the  cloths  are  removed,  I  sometimes  have 
the  skin  rapidly  and  lightly  sponged  over  with  cold  water,  and 
theri  three  or  four  men  are  set  vigorously  to  work  with  their 
bare  hands  to  rub  it  perfectly  dry  ere  I  apply  the  clean  clothing. 
It  is  seldom  that  I  find  it  necessary  to  apply  the  wet  sheets 
above  once  or  twice  before  an  improvement  becomes  rapidly 
visible  ;  and  when  once  such  improvement  has  set  in,  then  assist 
it  with  such  remedies  as  may  answer  best  to  the  phenomena,  for 
it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  wet  sheet  is  a  very  weaken- 
ing agent  if  applied  too  frequently." 

DISINFECTION   OF   STABLES. 

The  cheapest  and  perhaps  the  best  stable  disinfectants  are 
quicklime,  chloride  of  lime  and  of  soda,  and  pulverized  charcoal. 
Many  of  our  horsemen  have  yet  to  learn  that  the  health  of  their 
horses  depends,  in  a  great  measure,  on  a  proper  supply  of  pure, 
uncontaminated  atmospheric  air:  when  they  are  convinced  of  this 
fact,  we  may  expect  a  reform.  It  is  a  universal  custom,  in  this 
city,  to  collect  all  stable  sweepings  denominated  manure,  and  to 
deposit  them  in  a  reservoir  beneath  the  stable  floor :  this  is 
carted  off  from  the  city  about  once  a  week.  In  the  summer 
months,  the  stench  arising  from  this  semi-putrid  mass  is  almost 
intolerable.  It  is  not,  however,  in  all  cases  a  matter  of  choice, 
but  one  of  necessity ;  for  in  a  crowded  city,  like  Boston,  the  evil 
is  not  easy  to  remedy.  Yet  something  can  be  done  to  conduct 
the  impure  emanations  from  the  stable  into  the  surrounding  at- 
mosphere, where  it  would  be  comparatively  harmless.     In  this 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  397 

view  we  recommend  each  stable-keeper  to  have  a  ventilator  con- 
structed ;  and  it  may  be  got  up  on  a  cheap  scale  from  pine 
boards,  which  should  be  dovetailed  together.  Its  form  will  be  a 
matter  of  choice ;  the  circular  will  be  most  preferable ;  yet, 
where  economy  is  the  order  of  the  day,  a  hollow,  square  spout 
will  answer.  The  lower  end  of  this  ventilator  must  be  inserted 
into  the  stable  floor,  and  only  inserted,  for  if  it  be  suffered  to 
reach  a  few  inches  below  the  under  surface  of  the  floor,  it  will 
be  but  an  imperfect  ventilator.  Its  length  will  correspond  to 
the  height  of  the  stable,  always  allowing  a  few  additional  feet, 
to  rise  above  the  roof.  It  may  be  protected  from  rain  by  a  tri- 
angular cap. 

We  cannot  close  this  subject  without  making  what  we  conceive 
to  be  a  valuable  suggestion,  which,  if  fully  carried  out,  will  be 
for  the  mutual  advantage  of  stablemen  and  farmers.  Our  plan 
is,  that  each  stable-keeper  shall  supply  himself  with  a  quantity 
of  powdered  charcoal,  a  limited  portion  of  which  is  to  be 
sprinkled  every  morning  over  the  dung  heap.  For  a  stable  av- 
eraging twenty  horses,  half  a  barrel  of  charcoal  daily  would  not 
be  too  much  ;  the  more  there  is  of  it  the  better  for  the  farmer, 
and,  indeed,  for  the  whole  human  race.  For  then  many  of  the 
diseases  which  have  of  late  attacked  our  fruits  and  vegetables 
might  be  arrested,  and,  perhaps,  wholly  prevented.  Much  of 
the  fruit  now  brought  to  market  is  a  direct  cause  of  diarrhoea 
and  dysentery. 

By  this  arrangement  the  farmer  will  be  the  one  most  benefited, 
and  we  venture  to  say  that  any  sensible  man  would  be  willing 
to  furnish  the  requisite  quantity  of  charcoal,  provided  he  has 
the  privilege  of  purchasing  the  manure.  He  certainly  would 
not  object,  when  purchasing  manure,  to  pay  the  additional  cost 
of  the  charcoal,  for  it  surpasses  all  other  substances  in  the 
power  which  it  possesses  of  absorbing  ammonia,  and  the  value 
of  manure  is  increased  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  ammo- 
niacal  salts  which  it  contains. 
34 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


ON  THE   USE   OF  THE   CAUTERY.* 

"  The  use  of  the  cautery,  to  the  credit  of  our  art  be  it  said,  is  on 
the  decline.  The  farriers  of  former  days  had  ever  in  their  hands 
their  cautery  or  firing  irons  ;  with  them  they  opened  abscesses 
and  penetrated  tumors,  introduced  setons,  stanched  hemorrhage, 
cleansed  sores,  and  scored  the  skin  over  enlargements  and  lame- 
nesses of  almost  all  descriptions ;  indeed,  even  nowadays,  we 
occasionally  meet  with  some  luckless  wight  of  a  horse  that  has 
gone  through  this  ordeal,  bearing  marks  of  having  been  scored 
over  almost  every  joint  in  his  body.  This  barbarous  and  un- 
necessary practice  is,  however,  much  diminished ;  the  improve- 
ments of  modern  times  have  shown  us  that  we  can,  in  very  many 
of  these  cases,  afford  the  same  relief  in  a  much  simpler  and  more 
humane  manner.  Not  that  I  am  one  of  those  squeamish  or 
chicken-hearted  mortals,  who  would  hesitate,  as  its  medical  at- 
tendant, to  put  an  animal  to  any  pain,  short  of  actual  torture, 
which  I  was  thoroughly  convinced  was  necessary  for  its  cure  or 
relief;  at  the  same  time,  if  I  thought  I  could  effect  by  mild 
means  that  for  which  were  commonly  employed  harsh  and  pain- 
ful measures,  I  should  feel  it  my  duty  to  adopt  the  former  in 
preference  to  the  latter,  even  though  the  process  required  a 
somewhat  longer  interval  of  time.  In  fact,  I  hold  it  up  as  one 
of  the  proudest  boasts  of  modern  veterinary  surgery,  that  red- 
hot  iron  — that  terrific  though  potent  remedy —  is  in  many  cases 
superseded  by  comparatively  painless  but  equally  efficacious 
measures  ;  and  let  us  hope  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  we 
shall  require  its  aid  even  less  than  we  do  at  present."  —  Per- 
civall  on  the  disorders  and  lamenesses  of  horses. 

*  Cautery  is  of  two  kinds,  actual  and  potential.  By  the  first  is  meant  the 
red-hot  iron  ;  by  the  second,  any  caustic  application. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  399 


OPERATION   OF  LITHOTOMY,    (FOR   STONE,)  IN  THE 
BLADDER   OF  A   HORSE. 

The  following  case  occurred  in  the  practice  of  a  veterinary 
surgeon  in  England,  and  may  serve  to  illustrate  the  manner  of 
procedure  :  — 

"  Having  drawn  out  the  penis  from  the  sheath  or  prepuce,  the 
operator  passed  a  rod  of  whalebone  up  the  urethra,  until  the 
end  of  it  could  be  felt  in  the  perineum.  He  then  cut  down  upon 
the  end  of  the  rod,  and  through  the  opening  thus  made' in  the 
urethra  he  introduced  a  director,  and  with  a  probe-pointed  bis- 
toury continued  the  opening  as  far  as  the  left  side  of  the  anus. 
He  then  introduced  his  right  hand  into  the  rectum,  and  the  two 
fore  fingers  of  his  left  hand  into  the  bladder,  and,  without  any 
difficulty,  pushed  the  stone  against  the  middle  finger,  by  which 
he  guided  it  to  the  neck  of  the  bladder,  and  then  easily  forced  it 
out  through  the  opening  in  the  urethra.  The  stone  weighed 
rather  more  than  four  and  a  half  ounces.  Some  parts  of  the 
stone  appeared  to  have  been  broken  off,  and  left  in  the  bladder ; 
these  were  easily  removed  by  means  of  a  bit  of  soft  sponge  tied 
to  a  whalebone  probe,  and  some  warm  water.  The  wound 
quickly  healed,  except  a  small  orifice,  through  which  a  part  of 
the  urine  still  passes ;  but  the  horse  has  worked  hard  since,  and 
suffered  no  inconvenience  from  it.  Mr.  M.  has  no  doubt  that 
a  stone  of  seven  or  eight  ounces  might  be  thus  extracted."  — 
Med.  and  Phys.  Journal. 

SCALDED   SHORTS. 

Shorts,  as  they  are  familiarly  termed,  when  scalded,  make  an 
excellent  diet  for  sick  animals.  The  usual  method  of  prepara- 
tion is,  to  turn  two  or  three  quarts  of  shorts  into  a  bucket,  to 
which  add  boiling  water,  so  that  the  mixture,  when  stirred,  shall 
be  about  the  consistence  of  a  soft  poultice :  it  is  then  to  be  cov- 
ered with  a  cloth,  and  not  given  to  the  horse  until  sufficiently 
cool.  When  a  horse  has  taken  cold,  and  labors  under  a  discharge 
from  the  nostrils,  the  mash  may  be  put  into  the  manger  while 
hot,  with  a  view  of  steaming  the  nasal  passages,  and  favoring 


400  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

the  discharge  of  morbid  accumulations.  It  is  our  general  prac- 
tice, when  treating  horses  for  acute  diseases,  to  prescribe  an  oc- 
casional mess  of  the  above ;  and  we  invariably  observe  some 
benefit  derived.  In  acute  diseases  of  the  alimentary  canal,  —  in- 
flammation of  the  bowels  for  example,  —  the  practice  is  open  to 
some  objection,  on  account  of  the  irritation  which  the  article 
might  produce  on  the  mucous  surfaces.  During  the  active  stage 
of  such  disease,  food  of  this  description  is  inadmissible,  and  such 
articles  as  are  mucilaginous,  lubricating,  are  indicated.  The  best 
we  know  of  are  flaxseed,  marshmallows,  and  slippery  elm.  It  is 
customary  in  England,  in  large  stables,  to  set  a  boiler  in  which 
hot  water  is  continually  kept  for  the  purposes  of  the  stable,  and 
more  particularly  for  making  bran  mashes,  and  at  night,  if  any 
of  the  horses  look  dumpish,  (fatigued,)  a  bran  mash  and  a  good 
warm  bed  of  straw  generally  restore  them.  Let  a  man,  who  has 
performed  a  hard  day's  work,  arriving  at  home  late  at  night, — 
his  clothes  drenched  with  rain,  his  feet  icy  cold,  and  his  frame 
shaking  like  an  aspen  leaf,  —  now  partake  of  a  bowl  of  warm 
gruel,  and  tumble  into  a  good  feather  bed,  he  can  afterwards  un- 
derstand how'  a  poor  horse,  under  similar  circumstances,  might 
be  benefited.  "White  recommends  bran  mashes  "  in  fever  and  all 
inflammatory  complaints  ;  they  are  useful,  also,  as  a  preparative 
to  physic,  serving  to  remove  any  indurated  fceces  there  may  be  in 
the  bowels,  whereby  the  operation  of  the  medicine  is  rendered 
more  safe  and  effectual.  When  a  horse  has  been  fed  high  for 
some  time,  a  change  to  a  diet  of  mashes  for  two  or  three  days 
will  often  do  a  great  deal  of  good." 

METHOD   OF   ADMINISTERING  MEDICINES  TO   HORSES. 

The  author  almost  invariably  administers  medicine  in  the  form 
of  drench,  using  a  common  champagne  bottle.  Some  persons, 
however,  assert  that  "  there  is  great  danger  in  drenching  horses 
from  a  bottle ;  also,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  make  them  swallow 
fluid."  ^Ye  never  knew  of  any  accident  following  the  use  of  the 
bottle,  where  ordinary  caution  was  observed.  There  is  a  space 
between  the  canine  teeth  and  grinders  where  the  bottle  can  be 
introduced,  and  if   kept   in   that  position  while  "  drenching  the 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  401 

horse,"  it  cannot  do  any  harm.  Our  usual  plan  is,  to  stand  on 
the  right  side  of  the  horse,  our  back  turned  towards  his  body  ;  we 
then  take  a  firm  hold  of  the  lower  jaw  with  the  left  hand,  at  the 
same  time  moderately  elevating  the  head,  (not  too  high,)  while 
with  the  right  we  gradually  pour  down  the  contents  of  the  bottle. 
Time  should  be  taken  in  the  process,  and  if  it  is  poured  down  in 
small  quantities  at  a  time,  so  much  the  better;  the  horse  will  be 
more  likely  to  swallow  it,  especially  if  it  shall  be  made  palatable 
by  the  addition  of  a  few  caraway  seeds  or  a  little  honey.  Horses, 
like  children,  must  be  handled  in  the  most  gentle  manner.  They 
will  generally  refuse  to  drink  even  a  little  gruel,  when  any  un- 
necessary severity  is  resorted  to  in  its  administration.  They  may 
be  coaxed,  but  not  forced. 

In  answer  to  the  second  objection,  we  observe,  that  there  is  no 
more  difficulty  (not  half  so  much)  in  administering  a  drench  to  a 
horse,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  than  there  is  in  giving  a 
ball.  To  the  latter  we  have  great  objections.  First,  in  reference 
to  its  bulk  ;  secondly,  the  length  of  time  it  takes  for  the  gas- 
tric fluids  to  dissolve  it ;  and  lastly,  its  action  is  uncertain. 
Whereas  medicine  given  in  the  fluid  form  is  readily  taken  up  by 
the  lacteals,  and  operates,  for  good  or  evil,  in  much  less  time.  It 
has  also  been  urged  that,  when  a  horse  is  suffering  from  disease 
of  the  respiratory  organs,  the  additional  excitement  following  the 
act  of  drenching  is  unfavorable  to  the  cure.  Unfortunately,  Ave 
are  in  a  worse  predicament  when  a  ball  is  given,  for  then  the 
tongue  is  forcibly  drawn  out  of  the  mouth,  while  the  hand  is 
passed  up  to  its  root,  where  the  ball  is  deposited.  Our  own  ex- 
perience in  the  matter  leads  us  to  decide  in  favor  of  the  bottle. 
If  any  further  proofs  of  its  utility  are  wanting,  we  may  mention 
the  fact  that  one  half  of  our  city  horsemen  are  in  the  habit  of 
administering  drink  from  the  bottle  without  accident. 

SOUNDNESS,  AS   OPPOSED   TO   LAMENESS. 

"  Reluctantly  as  we  enter  on  this  difficult  and  much-debated 
question,  we  feel  it  our  duty,  in  a  work  on  lameness,  to  make 
some  observations  on  the  subject,  though  these  observations  will 
be  rather  of    a  general  than  of  a  particular  nature,  and  have 

34* 


402  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

especial  reference  to  soundness  regarded  as  the  converse  of  or 
opposite  state  to  lameness.  No  person  buys  or  sells  a  horse  with- 
out feeling  some  concern  as  to  the  soundness  of  the  animal :  the 
purchaser  is  apprehensive  lest  his  new  horse  should  from  any 
cause  turn  out  unserviceable  or  unequal  to  that  for  the  perform- 
ance of  which  he  has  bought  him ;  the  vender  is  apprehensive, 
either  lest  the  animal,  in  other  hands,  should  not  prove  that  sound 
and  effective  servant  he  conceived  or  represented  him  to  be,  or 
lest  some  unrepresented  or  concealed  fault  or  defect  he  is  aware 
the  animal  possesses  may  now,  in  his  new  master's  hands,  be 
brought  to  light.  Soundness,  as  opposed  to  actual  or  decided 
lameness,  (or  as  synonymous  with  good  health,)  is  a  state  too  well 
understood  to  need  any  definition  or  description  :  when  Ave  come, 
however,  to  draw  a  line  between  soundness  and  lameness  in  their 
less  distinguishable  forms,  —  to  mark  the  point  at  which  one  ends 
and  the  other  begins,  —  we  meet  a  difficulty ;  and  this  difficulty 
increases  when  we  find  ourselves  called  on  to  include  under  our 
denomination  of  unsoundness  that  which  is  likely  or  has  a  tendency 
to  bring  forth  lameness. 

"  The  number  of  '  horse  cases,'  as  they  are  commonly  called, 
that  have  engaged  the  attention  of  our  courts  of  law,  have 
brought  eminent  persons  of  the  legal  profession  to  our  aid  in  the 
solution  of  this  intricate  question.  Lord  Mansfield,  years  ago, 
made  an  attempt  to  settle  the  point  according  to  an  ad  valorem 
scale ;  setting  every  horse  down  as  sound  in  the  eye  of  the  law, 
whose  cost  or  value  amounted  to  a  certain  sum.  This,  of  course, 
was  law  that  never  could  hold  in  horse  transactions.  Lord  Ellen- 
borough  legislated  with  a  great  deal  more  knowledge  of  horse- 
flesh. The  law  he  laid  down  was,  that  'any  infirmity  which 
rendered  a  horse  less  fit  for  present  use  or  convenience  consti- 
tuted unsoundness '  —  a  law  which,  though  it  admitted  of  great 
latitude  of  construction,  and  to  some  especial  cases  did  not  prove 
applicable  at  all,  was  still  a  wholesome  and  practicable  one  in  a 
majority  of  cases  of  dispute.  Lord  Tenterden  made  but  little 
improvement  on  it  when  he  pronounced  every  horse  unsound  that 
'  could  not  go  through  the  same  labor  as  before  the  existence 
of  the  defect  or  blemish  in  dispute,  and  with  the  same  degrees  of 
facility ' 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR.  403 

"  Professor  Coleman's  notion  was,  that  '  every  horse  ought  to  be 
considered  sound  that  could  perform  the  ordinary  duties  of  an 
ordinary  horse.'  This  definition  is  open  to  the  same  objections 
as  the  judicial  laws  of  Lords  Mansfield  and  Tenterden :  mange, 
diseases  of  the  eye,  (so  long  as  they  are  confined  to  one  eye,) 
nay,  glanders  *  and  farcy  even,  in  certain  stages,  and  some  other 
diseases,  do  not  incapacitate  a  horse,  and  yet  they  all  amount  to 
palpable  unsoundness.  On  the  other  hand,  many  a  horse,  from 
age  or  want  of  condition,  or  from  possessing  a  constitution  natu- 
rally weak  or  washy,  is  unfitted  for  what  might  be  considered 
'  the  ordinary  duties  of  an  ordinary  horse,'  and  yet  cannot  be 
called  unsound.  Then,  again,  comes  for  explanation,  what  are 
to  be  regarded  as  the  ordinary  duties,  and  what  we  are  to  look 
upon  as  an  ordinary  horse;  both  presumptions  equally  inde- 
finable with  Lord  Ellenborough's  standard  of  fitness,  and  with 
Lord  Tenterden's  statu  quo  '  before  the  existence  of  the  defect 
or  blemish.' 

"  The  late  Mr.  Castley,  veterinary  surgeon  to  the  12th  Lancers, 
—  whose  opinions  on  this  subject,  as  well  as  on  every  other,  his 
habits  of  acute  and  accurate  observation  rendered  of  peculiar 
value  to  us,  —  felt  inclined,  to  use  his  own  words,  '  to  steer  a 
middle  course  ; '  in  accordance  with  which  he  '  ventured  on  the 
following  propositions  : '  — '  1st.  That  all  recognized  disease  con- 
stitutes unsoundness  for  the  time  being.'  '  2dly.  That  changes 
of  structure  or  an  altered  condition  of  parts,  and  derangement  or 
impairment  of  function,  are  allowed  by  all  to  be  our  two  great 
landmarks  in  conducting  examinations  for  soundness.'  The  first 
of  these  '  propositions '  is  fairly  inclusible  in  the  second  ;  all  dis- 
ease consisting  either  in  change  of  structure  or  change  of  func- 
tion, and  most  disease  involving  both  these  changes.  And  in  re- 
gard to  the  second  rule  for  our  guidance,  obvious  and  decisive  as 
are  changes  of  structure  combined  with  deranged  or  impaired 
function  of  parts  in  general,  there  are  still  some  of  that  trifling 

*  A  large  carrying  firm  on  the  western  road  had,  many  years  since,  a  great 
number  of  glandered  horses  working  in  entire  teams  :  these  horses  were  bought 
in  young,  at  high  prices,  but  from  neglect  and  mismanagement  soon  became  in- 
fected with  the  disease,  and  in  this  state  worked  on,  in  some  instances,  for 
many  years. 


404  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

or  uninflucntial  nature  that  can  hardly,  when  they  do  exist,  be 
looked  upon  as  unsoundness  :  such  are  chronic  or  partial  diseases 
of  certain  parts  or  organs,  the  obliteration  of  a  vein  *  or  artery, 
for  example,  the  conversion  of  fibro-cartilage  into  bone,  as  in 
splent,  chronic  or  partial  disease  of  such  an  organ  as  the  liver, 
&c,  &c. 

"  Our  present  inquiry  into  the  nature  of  soundness  being  re- 
stricted to  its  relation  to  lameness,  and  it  being  our  intention  here 
to  deal  with  broad  principles,  leaving  the  nicer  shades  of  distinc- 
tion for  consideration  until  such  time  as  we  come  to  treat  of  par- 
ticular lamenesses,  we  may  safely  say  that, — 

"1.  Every  horse  showing  lameness  must  be  pronounced  un- 
sound; although  the  converse  of  this,  as  a  fundamental  principle, 
will  by  no  means  hold  good,  every  horse  not  showing  lameness  not 
necessarily  being  (considered  as)  a  sound  horse.  For  instance, 
a  horse  shall  have  a  spavin,  or  a  curb,  or  a  swollen  back  sinew, 
and  still  evince  no  lameness,  even  though  he  may  show  marks  of 
having  been  fired  or  blistered  for  the  same,  and  so  give  us  every 
reason  to  believe  that  formerly  he  has  experienced  actual  lame- 
ness from  one  or  other  of  these  defects.  Would,  however,  any 
veterinary  surgeon,  under  such  circumstances,  give  a  certificate 
of  soundness  ?  If  he  did,  it  must  be  qualified  in  a  manner  that 
would  little  induce  any  person  to  purchase  such  a  horse,  unless 
at  a  price  consonant  with  the  evident  reduction  of  his  value.  It 
will  be  requisite,  therefore,  for  us  to  say,  not  simply  that  every 
lame  horse  is  unsound,  but  to  add  the  words,  or  that  has  that 
about  him  which  is  likely  on  work  to  render  him  lame.  This  will, 
it  is  true,  open  the  door  to  difference  of  opinion  and  equivoca- 
tion. There  may,  as  we  have  seen,  spring  up  two  opinions 
concerning  the  presence  even  of  lameness.  There  will  in  more 
cases  be  two  opinions  concerning  that  which  is  accounted  to  be 
the  precursor  of  lameness,  or  have  a  tendency  at  some  period, 
proximate  or  remote,  to  produce  lameness  ;  all  which  differences 
are  best  got  rid  of  by  reference  to  the  ablest  veterinary  advice. 
There  will  be  less  diversity  of  opinion  among  professional  men 


*  "  It  has  happened,  however,  that  a  horse  has  been  returned  after  purchase 
as  '  unsound  '  in  consequence  of  a  lost  (jugular)  vein." 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  405 

than  among  others,  and  the  more  skilful  and  respectable  the  pro- 
fessional persons  are,  the  greater  will  be  the  probability  of  a 
happy  unison  in  their  views  of  the  case.  To  lay  down  any  statute 
law  which  shall  meet  such  cases  as  these,  is,  from  the  T~ery  nature 
of  vital  structures  and  functions,  totally  an  impossible  matter. 

"  We  ought  to  be  able  to  establish  it  as  an  axiom,  although  it 
may  prove  one  not  unassailable  by  argument,  that  a  lame  horse 
is  an  unsound  horse.  It  might  be  objected,  for  example,  that  a 
horse  having  a  stone  in  his  foot  —  than  which  nothing,  for  the 
time,  renders  a  horse  more  lame  —  should  be  regarded  as  un- 
sound ;  and  yet  by  this  rule  he  must  be  so  considered  so  long  as 
he  continues  to  go  lame,  though  as  sound  from  the  moment  that 
the  stone  is  removed.  The  shoe  '  nailed  on  too  tight'  furnishes 
another  similar  example.  A  horse,  quite  sound,  enters  a  forge 
to  be  shod,  and  comes  out  going,  as  grooms  call  it,  '  scrambling,' 
i.  e.,  lame  ;  he  is,  in  fact,  no  longer  a  sound  horse  :  take  him  back, 
however,  into  the  forge,  and  remove  his  shoes,  nail  them  on  '  easy,' 
and,  if  not  completely  restored  to  soundness,  he  is  thereby  evi- 
dently so  much  relieved  as  to  give  pretty  fair  earnest  of  his  be- 
coming well  or  as  sound  as.  ever  by  the  next  or  the  following 
day.  It  may  be  said,  and  we  quite  agree  in  the  reply,  that  such 
trivial  points  as  these  are  not  likely  to  come  before  us  for  de- 
cision, or  to  cause  us  any  trouble  if  they  do  :  still  it  is  right  we 
should  be  armed  on  all  sides  to  defend  that  law  which  we,  as  pro- 
fessional men,  deem  it  wholesome  and  just  to  lay  down  ;  viz.,  that 
every  horse  going  lame  —  no  matter  from  what  cause  —  ought 
to  be  pronounced  unsound. 

"  If  any  real  objection  can  be  urged  to  the  institution  of  such  a 
law,  one  presents  itself  in  the  case  of  a  horse  that  is  lame  at  one 
time  and  sound  at  another.  For  instance,  a  horse  shall  have  a 
frush,  of  which  he  shall  flinch  or  go  palpably  lame  every  time 
he  happens  to  tread  upon  a  stone,  or  whenever  he  goes  upon 
hard,  uneven  surfaces  ;  though  at  other  times,  upon  soft  ground 
or  upon  turf,  he  shall  appear  quite  sound.  This  horse,  we  think, 
stands,  in  respect  to  the  question  of  soundness,  altogether  in  a 
different  position  from  either  the  stone-in-the-foot  or  the  tight- 
shoe  case  :  here  is  disease  —  demonstrable  disease  ;  and  although 
it  gives  rise  but  occasionally  to  lameness,  sti1!,  as  lameness  is  at 


40G  THE    MODERJJ    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

times  the  result,  we  hold  that  the  horse  ought  to  be  accounted 
unsound.  The  spavin  —  in  certain  forms  —  affords  another  ex- 
ample of  temporary  or  transitory  lameness.  A  spavined  horse 
shall  come  excessively  lame  out  of  his  stable  in  the  morning,  but 
after  having  gone  a  while  and  waxed  warm,  shall  no  longer  ex- 
hibit lameness,  or  even  stiffness  of  his  hock.  In  accordance  with 
the  laws  of  the  judges,  and  with  that  of  our  late  professor, 
(Coleman,)  such  a  horse  being  not  '  less  fit  for  present  use  or 
convenience,'  being  '  able  to  go  through  the  same  labor  as  before 
the  defect  or  blemish,'  able  to  perform  the  'ordinary  duties  of  an 
ordinary  horse,'  —  such  a  horse,  we  repeat,  must  be  pronounced, 
so  long  as  he  continues  in  this  aptitude,  to  be  sound ;  whereas, 
however  much  we  may  differ  concerning  other  points,  we  believe 
all  veterinarians  will  concur  with  us  in  opinion  in  declaring  the 
occasionally  lame  spavined  —  if  not  the  lame  frushed  —  horse 
to  be  unsound,  notwithstanding  his  redeeming  quality  of  becom- 
ing sound  on  work,  and  of  continuing  so  to  the  end  of  that  work. 
"  However  strong  we  may  feel  ourselves  in  our  axiom  —  that  a 
lame  horse  must  be  accounted  unsound  —  the  moment,  as  we  ob- 
served before,  we  attempt  the  converse  of  it,  viz.,  that  every 
horse  free  from  lameness  is  (as  respects  the  question  of  lameness) 
to  be  held  as  sound,  we  change  into  a  position  most  infirm  and 
untenable.  All  sorts  of  diseases  and  defects  stare  us  in  the  face, 
which,  though  not  the  immediate  producers  of  lameness,  too 
surely,  in  our  minds,  betoken  its  approach,  waiting  only  for  work 
or  other  exciting  cause  for  its  development ;  and  with  such  be- 
tokenment  before  us,  it  is  quite  impossible  we  can,  with  any  show 
of  reason  or  equity,  pronounce  the  horse  having  them,  notwith- 
standing he  at  the  time  goes  free  from  lameness,  to  be  virtually  a 
sound  horse.  For  how  can  we  in  conscience  call  that  horse 
sound  that  we  know  has  that  about  him  which  will  probably  — 
nay,  certainly  —  cause  him  to  become  lame  the  first  long  or  heavy 
day's  work  he  is  put  to  perform  ?  As  well  might  we  call  an  ap- 
ple or  a  pear  sound  which  Ave  know  to  be  rotten  at  the  core. 
And  yet,  strictly  and  literally  speaking,  the  animal  goes  sound  — 
is  as  sound  in  action  to  appearance  as  is  the  rotten  apple  or  pear. 
In  cases  where  so  much  difficulty,  nay,  impossibility,  presents  it- 
self to  the  drawing  of  a  distinction  between  the  two  opposite  and 


THE    MODERN   HOUSE   DOCTOR.  407 

(as  we  may  call  them)  abhorrent  states  of  soundness  and  un- 
soundness, it  has  struck  us  some  good  might  arise  from  a  di- 
vision of  unsoundness  into  actual  and  prospective  ;  the  latter  de- 
nomination indicating  a  state  of  transient  or  trustless  soundness. 
Notwithstanding  a  horse  may  be  free  from  lameness,  may  go 
sound,  yet,  so  long  as  he  has  that  about  him  which  will  probably 
or  surely  render  him  lame  the  first  time  he  is  put  to  hard  work, 
he  is  virtually  an  unsound  horse,  in  honesty  unwarrantable  ;  and 
the  best  denomination  we  are  able  to  find  for  such  a  failable  con- 
dition —  a  sort  of  intermediate  state  between  soundness  and  un- 
soundness —  is  prospective  unsoundness.  So  far  as  abstract  ac- 
tion is  concerned,  the  horse,  it  is  true,  must  be  regarded  as 
sound ;  although  that  which  he  has  upon  him,  making  him  liable 
or  certain  to  become  lame  whenever  he  is  put  to  excess  of  action 
or  work,  certainly  stands  in  the  way  of  any  warranty  of  sound- 
ness being  given. 

"  Prospective  unsoundness,  however,  although  it  relieves  us  from 
the  necessity  of  doing  that  which  no  professional  man  conscien- 
tiously can  do  in  very  many  of  the  subjects  brought  before  him, 
viz.,  of  pronouncing  the  horse  either  actually  sound  or  unsound, 
yet  unfortunately  it  opens  a  door  through  which  crowds  of  cases, 
really  doubtful  in  their  character  or  rendered  so  by  the  variety 
of  opinions  given  on  them,  are  ready  to  be  forced  in,  and  made 
to  perplex  us  in  coming  to  any  proper  or  judicious  selection  of 
them.  One  horse  has  manifest  disease,  in  some  form  or  another, 
as  the  cause  of  his  being  pronounced  likely  or  certain  to  go  lame 
at  no  very  remote  period :  his  case  admits  of  no  question.  But 
another  horse  has  —  no  disease  —  only  a  malformation,  a  defor- 
mity, or  misshapenness,  the  result  of  which  is  weakness  of  limb, 
and  consequent  liability  to  failure  —  to  lameness,  in  fact.  A 
third  horse  has  neither  disease  nor  deformity,  nothing  but  a  '  bad 
habit,'  and  that  is  said  to  amount  to  unsoundness.  And  it  is  the 
cases  that  come  under  one  or  other  of  these  latter  denominations 
—  which  are  the  offspring  either  of  natural  defect,  of  use  or 
wear,  or  of  habit  —  that,  for  the  most  part,  puzzle  veterinary 
practitioners  in  coming  to  judicious  decisions  on  soundness. 

"  To  elucidate  these  observations  by  example  :  A  horse  shall 
have  a  spavin  or  a  curb,  or  a  swollen  or  fired  back  sinew,  any 


408  THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 

disease,  in  short,  from  which  on  exertion  he  is  likely,  as  our  ex- 
perience tells  us,  to  become  lame  :  such  a  horse  is  prospectively 
unsound.  But  suppose  he  have  a  club  foot,  a  parrot  mouth,  bent 
limbs,  curved  or  curby-looking  hocks,  weak  joints,  narrow  or  flat 
feet,  a  hip  down,  &c.  —  all  natural  deformities  or  malformations, 
none  of  them  coming  fairly  or  popularly  under  the  category  of 
disease  —  what  is  to  be  done  in  passing  judgment  upon  them  ? 
The  equitable  adjudication  appears  to  be,  as  in  the  case  of  dis- 
ease, to  declare  that  such  of  them  constitute  unsoundness  as  are 
probable  or  certain  to  give  rise  on  work  to  lameness  ;  but,  then, 
we  shall  experience  difficulty,  in  some  of  the  cases,  in  drawing 
the  line  between  actual  lameness  and  natural  failing  or  weakness. 
A  horse  foaled  with  evident  deficiency  of  physical  power,  partial 
or  general,  can  hardly  be  called  unsound  ;  though  should  he  have 
that  about  him  which  renders  it  likely  he  will,  when  put  to  work, 
become  actually  lame,  he  ought,  assuredly,  to  be  pronounced  pro- 
spectively so.  ' Cutting'  as  the  striking  of  one  foot  against  its 
fellow  leg  is  called,  arise  from  whatever  cause  it  may,  is  apt  to 
produce  occasional  lameness,  and,  when  it  does  so,  is  fairly  re- 
garded as  a  species  of  prospective  unsoundness.  Springhalt  is 
action  so  unnatural  that  some  do  not  hesitate  to  affirm  it  to  be  a 
species  of  unsoundness,  though  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  many 
horses  so  affected  will  do  the  same  amount  of  work  as  it  is  rea- 
sonable to  suppose  they  would  or  could  do  were  they  free  from 
it.  After  all,  as  the  foregoing  observations  will  abundantly  tes- 
tify, a  good  deal,  in  the  decisions  between  soundness  and  unsound- 
ness, must  be  left  to  the  skill  and  judgment  of  the  professional 
man  :  he  alone  can  unriddle  the  true  nature  of  the  case,  and 
form  a  just  estimate  of  the  probabilities  of  lameness  ;  and,  if  he 
be  but  trustworthy  and  honest  in  his  opinions,  he  is,  beyond 
question,  the  preferable  authority  in  such  cases  of  appeal  for 
advice. 

"  When  we,  as  men  acquainted  with  the  animal  economy,  con- 
sider the  multiplicity  of  evils  even  quadruped  '  flesh  is  heir  to,' 
and  reflect  in  how  many  wrays  its  health  and  action  may  become 
impaired,  and  how  graduated  down  those  impairments  may  be 
into  states  of  indisputable  soundness,  we  have  no  right  to  feel 
surprised  at  the  intricacy  in  which  we  find  the  surgect  before  us 


THE   MODERN   HOUSE   DOCTOK.  409 

involved,  no  more  than  we  have,  in  a  strictly  pathological  point 
of  view,  at  the  comparative  paucity  of  sound  horses  coming  un- 
der our  observation.  The  separation  of  monomania  in  man  from 
oddity  or  eccentricity  is  hardly  more  difficult  than  resolving  the 
question  of  soundness  in  its  dubious  or  transitory  form  is  in 
horses  ;  a  great  deal,  after  all,  must  be  matter  of  opinion,  and 
those  opinions  will  ever  prove  best  worthy  our  reliance  which 
are  founded  on  the  widest  experience,  coupled  with  the  best  char- 
acter for  honesty.  No  more  responsible  duty  attaches  to  a  pro- 
fessional man  than  that  of  giving  a  certificate  of  soundness  :  by 
it  the  warranty  of  the  dealer  or  vender  is  either  confirmed  or 
falsified,  the  purchase  completed  or  set  on  one  side,  the  value  of 
the  animal  either  established  or  destroyed ;  on  all  which  accounts 
is  the  veterinarian  pledged,  not  only  to  use  his  *  hundred  eyes ' 
in  making  the  examination,  but  also  his  maturest  judgment  in 
diving  into  the  nature  of  any  unsoundness  he  may  discover, 
as  well  as  into  its  positive  or  probable  effect  on  the  action  or  ca- 
pabilities of  the  animal,  both  present  and  to  come.  This  leads 
us,  before  we  close  the  subject,  to  say  a  few  words  on  toarranty  ; 
by  which  is  meant  an  indemnity  against  any  unsoundness,  or  a 
pledge  given  —  commonly  in  writing  —  by  the  vender  to  the 
purchaser,  that  the  horse  is  sound  and  quiet,  and  possesses  such 
and  such  qualifications.  Without  such  indemnification  or  pledge, 
the  law  says,  Caveat  emptor  —  let  the  purchaser  take  the  conse- 
quences ;  the  rule  at  law  being,  that  every  body  who  purchases  a 
horse  takes  him  at  his  own  judgment,  and  has  no  remedy  against 
the  seller,  supposing  the  horse  to  turn  out,  upon  a  future  trial,  or 
a  more  considerate  inspection  after  the  purchase,  to  be  worth  less 
than  the  sum  given ;  unless  he  (the  purchaser)  can  prove  he  was 
induced  to  purchase  by  representations  false  within  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  seller ;  to  fasten  a  fraud  of  which  nature  upon  an 
experienced  dealer  in  horses  is,  however,  a  difficult  matters- 
Warranties  are  of  different  kinds  —  express  or  implied,  general 
or  special.  An  express  warranty  speaks  for  itself.  And  as  for 
an  implied  warranty,  such  a  thing  is  hardly  known,  or,  at  least, 
rarely  taken  advantage  of  in  horse  deeding,  the  price  paid,  how- 


*  Tomlin's  Popular  Law  Dictionary,  1838. 

33 


410  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

ever  high,  not  being  legally  held  to  be  any  guaranty  of  the 
soundness  of  the  animal ;  and  any  thing  that  might  transpire  be- 
tween seller  and  buyer,  implying  warranty,  being  worth  nothing 
without  proof,  which,  being  procured,  would  render  the  transac- 
tion, in  law,  tantamount  to  an  express  warranty.  A  general  war- 
ranty extends  to  all  defects  and  faults  known  and  unknown  to  the 
seller ;  but  a  special  warranty  is  confined  in  its  operation  to  the 
parts  or  particulars  specifically  pointed  out.  A  horse  may  be 
warranted  of  such  an  age ;  or,  having  some  defect  visible  upon 
his  limbs,  such  as  a  spavin,  or  a  curb,  or  a  fired  leg,  of  which  he 
does  not  go  lame  at  the  time,  that  defect  may  be  specified,  and  the 
horse  warranted  not  (within  any  reasonable  or  prescribed  period) 
to  become  lame  in  consequence  of  it.  A  general  warranty,  how- 
ever, affords  no  protection  against  such  defects  as  are  'plain  and 
obvious '  to  every  body,  and,  consequently,  to  the  purchaser ;  no 
more  than  a  special  warranty  does  against  any  which  are  not  in- 
cluded or  named  in  the  specification.  '  But  if,  on  the  sale  of  a 
horse,  the  seller  agree  to  deliver  it  sound  and  free  from  blemish 
at  the  expiration  of  a  specified  period,  the  warranty  is  broken  by 
a  fault  in  the  horse  when  delivered,  although  such  defect  was  obvi- 
ous at  the  time  of  sale  ;  and  as  some  splints  cause  lameness  and 
others  do  not,  a  splint  is  not  one  of  those  plain  defects  against 
which  a  warranty  will  not  indemnify  ;  and  when  a  seller  warrants 
a  horse  sound  at  the  time  of  sale,  and  the  horse  afterwards  be- 
comes lame  from  the  effects  of  a  splint,  visible  when  the  horse 
was  bought,  it  is  certain  that  the  warranty  is  broken.'  This  rule 
will  apply  to  spavin,  or  to  curb,  or  to  windgall,  or,  in  fact,  to  any 
other  defect '  visible  at  the  time  of  sale/  For  all  warranties  can 
only  undertake  for  the  animal's  qualifications  at  the  time  of  sale : 
none  can  extend  to  any  subsequent  period  unless  there  be  a 
special  clause  '  to  deliver  the  horse  free  from  blemish/  and  that 
delivery  be  by  mutual  agreement  delayed.* 

"  The  form  in  which  a  receipt  including  warranty  is  generally 
written :  — 

"  '  Received,  the  16th  of  July,  1845,  of  A.  B.,  Esquire,  the  sum 
of  ninety  pounds,  for  a  gray  gelding  (stallion  or  mare)  warranted 
sound,  and  quiet  to  ride  and  drive.' 

*  Tomlm's  Law  Dictionary,  1838. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  411 


"  Or, '  Warranted  free  from  vice  and  blemish,  except  ■ 
"  Or,  '  Warranted  in  every  respect,  except 


"  Or,  'Warranted  to  have  been  constantly  driven  both  in  single 
and  double  harness,  to  have  carried  a  lady,  to  have  been  regu- 
larly hunted,  to  be  a  good  hunter  or  hackney,  &c,  &c.' 

"  Following  the  word  '  except '  there  being  every  opportunity 
afforded  the  (honest)  vender  of  stating  what  he  may  know  inval- 
idating the  warranty,  and  thereby  saving  his  reputation  as  well 
as  screening  himself  from  the  probability  of  litigation  afterwards. 

"  '  With  respect  to  what  (oral)  declarations  of  the  seller  will 
amount  to  a  warranty,  the  primary  rule  for  the  interpretation  of 
contracts  in  general  is  applicable.  It  depends  upon  the  intention 
of  the  parties.  A  simple  affirmation  of  the  goodness  of  an  arti- 
cle is  a  warranty,  provided  it  (a  warranty)  appear  to  have  been 
intended;  whereas  the  sublimest  epithets  that  seller  ever  em- 
ployed to  recommend  his  goods  to  a  credulous  buyer  will  be  re- 
garded as  the  idle  phraseology  of  the  market,  unless  an  intention 
to  warrant  actually  appear.'  In  fine,  '  it  is  from  the  intention  of 
the  parties,  as  collected  from  the  whole  transaction,  and  from  the 
meaning  they  appear  to  have  attached  to  particular  expressions, 
that  the  existence  or  non-existence  of  a  warranty  is  to  be  in- 
ferred.' * 

" '  Let  us  now  consider  how  the  rights  of  the  parties  are  af- 
fected by  the  horse  being  unsound  at  the  time  of  the  warranty. 
The  contract  being  thus  broken  on  the  part  of  the  seller,  it  is  at 
the  buyer's  option  either  to  treat  it  as  a  nullity,  and  return  the 
horse,  or  to  retain  him,  notwithstanding,  and  bring  an  action  on 
the  warranty.  In  the  former  case,  the  price  paid  is  the  measure 
of  the  damages  he  will  be  entitled  to  recover  in  an  action  ;  in  the 
latter,  the  difference  between  that  price  and  his  real  value.  If 
he  offer  to  rescind  the  contract  and  return  the  horse,  he  may  also 
recover  the  expenses  of  his  keep ;  but  in  order  to  do  this,  a  posi- 
tive tender  is  said  to  be  necessary.  No  notice  of  the  unsound- 
ness need  be  given  to  the  vender  to  entitle  the  vendee  to  main- 
tain the  action ;  nor  is  it  necessary  to  bring  the  action  imme- 
diately on  discovering  the  unsoundness.'  — '  But  although  such 
a  notice  be  not  essential,  yet  it  is  always  advisable  to  give  it,  as 

*  Law  Magazine  for  October,  1838. 


412  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

the  omitting  to  do  so  will  furnish  at  the  trial  strong  presumption 
that  the  horse,  at  the  time  of  sale,  was  free  from  the  defect  com- 
plained of;  thus  rendering  the  proof  of  a  breach  of  warranty- 
more  difficult.  Common  justice  and  honesty  require  that  the 
commodity  should  be  returned  at  the  earliest  period,  and  before 
it  has  been  so  changed  by  lapse  of  time  as  to  make  it  impos- 
sible to  ascertain,  by  proper  tests,  what  were  its  original  proper- 
ties.' "  —  Hippopathology. 

LYMPHATITIS. 

"  Lymphatitis  is  a  disease  which,  although  without  place  in 
any  of  our  systematic  books  by  our  professed  writers,  is  yet, 
upon  the  whole,  well  known,  and  is  designated  by  a  variety  of 
names.  In  Scotland,  for  example,  it  is  called  weed ;  while  in 
various  parts  of  England  it  is  known  as  felltick,  thick  leg, 
farcy,  water  farcy,  shot-o '-grease,  and  a  number  of  others 
which  it  is  unnecessary  to  detail,  and  which,  if  detailed,  would 
be  perfectly  impossible  to  understand.  Fifteen  years  ago,  a  Mr. 
J.  Henderson  wrote  a  paper  upon  this  affection,  which  the  reader 
will  find  in  the  ninth  volume  of  The  Veterinarian;  and  from 
that  time  to  the  present  it  does  not  appear  that  our  knowledge 
of  its  pathology  is  very  greatly  increased. 

"  Symptoms.  —  The  disease,  for  the  most  part,  commences  with 
a  shivering  fit,  though,  in  many  cases,  its  existence  may  be  so 
slight,  and  its  duration  so  short,  as  not  to  be  noticed  by  any  save 
a  careful  observer.  Generally  the  attack  is  very  sudden ;  the 
owner,  or  the  servant  in  care,  may  go  now,  as  it  were,  out  of  the 
stable,  and  leave  his  horse  to  all  appearance  perfectly  well,  and 
upon  returning  in  an  hour  hence  he  will  find  him  standing  upon 
three  legs,  while  the  fourth  will  be  flexed  and  held  high  from 
the  ground ;  the  pulse  will  vary  in  its  beats  according  to  the 
intensity  of  the  attack,  rarely,  however,  beating  less  than  fifty, 
or  more  than  one  hundred  per  minute  ;  while  the  respirations 
may  be  fifteen  or  twenty,  or  even  forty,  in  the  same  interval  of 
time.  If  the  affected  limb  be  examined  it  will  be  found  hot  and 
swollen,  and  tender  if  pressed  upon,  which  symptoms  for  many 
hours  will  gradually  increase  in  intensity.     Soon  after  commence- 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  413 

ment,  a  number  of  vessels  may  be  seen  running  across  the  limb 
in  various  directions,  of  about  the  thickness  of  a  quill ;  they  are 
the  most  numerous,  however,  upon  the  inner  surface  of  the  leg, 
where  they  appear  to  terminate  in  round  or  irregular  formed 
masses,  which  masses  are  acutely  tender  if  squeezed  within  the 
hand  ;  these  prominent  vessels  are  the  inflamed  lymphatics,  and 
the  prominent  masses  alluded  to  are  the  inflamed  lymphatic 
glands.  Sometimes  the  swelling  extends  from  the  junction  of 
the  limb  with  the  body  down  to  the  very  foot ;  at  other  times  it 
only  reaches  down  to  the  hock,  and  when  very  severe  a  sort  of 
dew  exudes  from  the  skin  and  lies  upon  the  hair. 

"  The  coarser  the  breed  and  the  older  the  animal,  the  greater 
the  liability  to  lymphatitis.  Young  coarse-bred  horses  are  also 
very  prone  to  it,  particularly  if  highly  fed  and  under  worked ; 
but  in  the  young  horse,  the  disease,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  if 
not  in  all,  quickly  runs  its  course,  and  the  affected  limb  becomes 
in  time  perfectly  restored  to  its  pristine  condition,  and  if  due 
precaution  be  taken  the  malady  may  not  again  manifest  itself,  at 
least  for  years  to  come  ;  while  in  old  horses  the  diseased  limb  is 
seldom  or  never  reduced  —  it  remains  permanently  thickened,  and 
the  animal  is  extremely  liable  to  have  acute  or  sub-acute  attacks 
of  the  same  disease  periodically.  In  the  majority  of  cases,  again, 
its  action  is  usually  confined  to  a  hind  leg,  and  that  on  the  left 
side ;  sometimes  both  limbs  are  affected,  but  never,  that  I  have 
seen,  very  acutely  so  at  the  same  time  ;  the  left  limb  might  be 
attacked,  and  some  time  afterwards  the  right  one,  but  never  both 
limbs  simultaneously.  I  have  also  found  that  if  the  disease  be 
treated  according  to  the  old  mode,  namely,  by  bleeding  and 
purging,  that  horses  so  treated  are  prone  to  be  attacked  far  more 
frequently  than  when  treated  homoeopathically. 

"  Causes.  —  The  predisposing  causes  are  simple,  the  chief  of 
which  are  peculiarity  of  breed,  and  the  regular  giving  of  very 
nutritious  food  in  too  great  abundance ;  also  previous  attacks  of 
the  same  disease,  old  age,  and  the  sudden  changing  of  the  animal 
from  a  poor  to  a  rich  diet.  The  immediate  or  exciting  causes 
are  _^.  heavy  blows  upon  the  limbs;  severe  scratches  and  cuts; 
sudden  over-exertion  ;  wrorking  of  the  animal  in  water,  or  very 
wet  ground :  the  sudden  checking  of  old  discharges  from  diseased 
35* 


414  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

limbs,  such  as  grease,  bad  thrushes,  &c. ;  allowing  the  animal  tc 
stand  in  cold  draughts  when  perspiring  freely,  or  checking  the 
perspiration  suddenly  by  riding  him  into  a  stream  of  cold  water." 
—  Veterinary  Homoeopathy,  by  Surgeon  Haycock. 

Treatment. — The  best  treatment  the  author  knows  of  is,  to 
apply  diluted  tincture  of  arnica  externally,  and  give  twenty  grains 
of  hydriodate  of  potassa  twice  daily. 

ON  THE  GADFLY  GRUB  FOUND  BENEATH  THE  SEIN 
OF  THE  HORSE. 

"We  know  that  the  horse  harbors  several  species  of  ces- 
trides,  or  gadflies,  in  his  body,  of  which  those  best  known  are 
the  cestrus  equi,  the  oestrus  veterinus,  and  the  oestrus  hcem- 
orrhoidalis,  whose  habitations  are  the  stomach  and  intestines. 
But  what  we  do  not  seem  to  be  generally  aware  of  is,  that  un- 
der the  skin,  even,  larvce,  or  grubs,  of  the  diptera  family  breed 
and  give  rise  to  the  formation  of  tumors  analogous  to  such  as 
strike  our  notice,  at  certain  times  of  the  year,  upon  the  bodies 
of  our  large  ruminants ;  and  particularly  of  those  who  appear,  in 
all  other  respects,  to  enjoy  the  best  health.  Redi  and  Huzard 
(the  father)  have  spoken  of  these  inhabitants  of  the  skin,  of  the 
horse.  Bracy  Clark,  likewise,  has  mentioned  them  in  his  Essay 
on  Bots ;  but  he  regards  them  as  identical  with  those  of  the 
hypoderma  species  which  exist  underneath  the  thick  skin  of 
the  ox. 

"  Dr.  Roulin,  of  the  Institute,  in  his  Researches  on  certain 
Changes  observed  in  domestic  Animals  transported  from  the  Old 
to  the  New  Continent,  expresses  himself  as  follows  :  '  In  the 
hatos  of  Llanos,  the  horses  are  almost  entirely  left  to  themselves. 
They  are  driven  up  only  from  time  to  time  to  keep  them  from 
becoming  quite  wild,  to  take  off  them  the  larvce  of  the  cestri,  and 
to  mark  the  foals  with  a  red-hot  iron.  To  what  species  do  these 
American  larvce  belong  ?  As  yet  we  remain  in  ignorance  of 
this.'  Last  of  all,  M.  Loiset,  a  celebrated  veterinary  surgeon 
of  the  Department  of  the  North,  published,  some  years  ago,  a 
short  Notice  on  the  CEstrus  Cuticolens  of  the  horse,  and  has  given 
a  description  of  the  larvce  of  this  cestrus,  of  which  we  have,  ac- 
cording to  the  text,  made  a  full  copy. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  415 

"  At  the  present  day,  with  nature  herself  before  our  eyes,  we 
feel  satisfied  that  this  description,  confessed  to  be  imperfect  even 
by  the  author  himself,  viewed  as  a  branch  of  natural  history,  is 
wanting  in  exactitude.  And  this  induced  him  to  introduce  a 
portrait  of  the  insect  in  question,  with  a  fresh  description  of  it 
more  in  accordance  with  the  rigorous  precision  prescribed  by 
science. 

"  Its  character  once  well  established,  we  shall  be  able  readily 
to  resolve  the  question,  whether  the  oestrus  in  point  be  identical 
with  the  hypoderme  of  the  ox,  or  whether  it  constitutes  another 
species  to  be  added  to  the  genus  hypoderma. 

"  The  larva  cuticolens  (skin-habitant  grub)  of  the  horse  has  a 
cylindrical  form,  measuring  more  round  in  its  fore  than  its  hinder 
part.  It  is  without  brain  or  feet.  Its  body  is  constituted  of 
eleven  segments,  including  the  one  in  which  is  found  the  buc- 
cal orifice,  (or  mouth,)  which  consists  of  a  very  small  hole,  edged 
with  a  black  border,  with  some  bristles  around  so  fine  as  to  be 
with  difficulty  perceptible  by  the  naked  eye.  The  foremost 
segment  is  of  all  the  smallest.  From  this  the  segments,  as  far 
back  as  the  fifth,  grow  gradually  larger ;  while,  on  the  contrary, 
the  five  posterior  continue  to  diminish  as  they  approach  the 
hinder  part.  These  segments,  examined  upon  their  ventral  sur- 
face, with  the  exception  of  the  two  last,  are  divided  transversely, 
by  slight  grooves,  into  two  unequal  halves,  each  furnished  with  a 
great  number  of  spinous  tubercles,  whose  points,  upon  the  ante- 
rior half  of  the  segment,  are  directed  backwards,  but  forwards 
upon  the  posterior  half.  Two  cribriform  plates,  the  sole  organ 
of  respiration  with  which  the  grub  is  furnished,  are  seated  upon 
a  sort  of  flattened  termination  of  the  anal  segment. 

"  Alike  in  this  respect  to  the  hypoderma  bovis,  the  skin-habi- 
tant grub  of  the  horse  has,  contrary  to  what  is  observed  in  the 
majority  of  cases,  the  inferior  surface  of  the  body  convex,  while 
the  dorsal  side  of  the  segments  is  slightly  concave.  Such  form  is 
in  this  manner  exactly  fitted  to  the  spherical  cavity  which  serves 
as  a  habitation  for  the  parasite.  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that 
the  dorsal  surface  of  the  body  is  without  bristles,  save  upon  the 
two  or  three  foremost  segments.  The  general  color  of  the  skin 
is  white ;  the  bristly  tubercles  alone  being  brown,  more  or  less 


41 G  THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR. 

shaded.  The  skin  itself  is  translucid  and  vesiculous,  as  it  were. 
In  size,  the  larva  is  much  below  the  hypoderma  bovis,  since  it 
does  not  exceed  an  inch  in  length,  while  the  larva  of  the  ox 
oestrus,  at  full  growth,  attains  to  from  three  to  four  inches. 

"  This  difference,  in  itself  considerable,  is  not  the  only  one  we 
have  to  remark.  Upon  the  subject  of  our  inquiry  we  do  not  ob- 
serve the  six  longitudinal  lines  which,  upon  the  hypoderme  of 
the  ox,  form  so  many  series  of  tuberculous  eminences,  ranged  at 
certain  intervals  from  the  first  to  the  last  segment.  Neither  are 
to  be  seen  the  five  or  six  eminences  surrounding  the  mouth  of 
the  latter ;  though,  to  make  up  for  it,  we  find  at  the  posterior 
and  inferior  side  of  the  second  segment  a  kind  of  transverse 
prominence  shooting  beyond  the  surrounding  skin,  and  furnished 
with  very  small  tubercles,  which  have  no  existence  in  the  grub 
found  in  the  skin  of  the  ox. 

"  These  differences,  united  to  those  of  size,  suffice,  in  our  mind, 
to  authorize  the  conclusion,  that  the  larva  in  question,  though  it 
belong  to  the  genus  hypoderma,  constitutes  a  distinct  species,  up 
to  the  present  time  undescribed,  to  which  we  shall  give  the  name 
of  hypoderma  equi. 

"  No  doubt  we  shall  be  asked,  What  are  the  habits  of  this  in- 
sect in  its  different  states  ?  Nobody,  as  yet,  that  we  know  of, 
has  investigated  them.  The  larva  alone  being  recognized,  it  is 
to  that  the  few  observations  apply  of  which  science  is  in  posses- 
sion. We  know  that  this  larva  is  found  principally  upon  horses 
that  have  been  living  at  pasture  in  the  months  of  July  and  Au- 
gust, and  that  through  its  presence  are  caused  large  indurated 
knots  or  buttons  upon  the  skin,  which  are  found  in  the  greatest 
numbers  along  the  spine,  from  the  withers  to  the  croup  inclusive. 
These  buttons,  whose  volume  varies  from  a  lentil  to  a  small  nut, 
have,  according  to  M.  Loiset,  a  shape  inclining  to  conical ;  and, 
by  carefully  separating  the  hairs  clothing  them,  may  be  seen  on 
their  summit  a  narrow  aperture,  resembling  such  as  a  large 
needle  would  make.  Compressing  the  tumor  causes  to  issue 
from  this  opening  a  minute  quantity  of  purulent  serosity,  which, 
after  being  removed,  is  followed,  in  the  last  months  of  the  growth 
of  the  tumor,  by  a  vesicular  point,  which  is  neither  more  nor  less 
than  the  posterior  extremity  of  the  larva.     The  efforts  made  to 


THE    MODERN   HORSE    DOCTOR.  417 

expel  this  are  ordinarily  ineffectual  up  to  the  period  at  which  its 
growth  fits  it  for  metamorphosis ;  when,  by  squeezing  the  pus- 
tule forcibly  between  the  nails,  a  vermicular  body  springs  livelily 
out,  as  though  impelled  by  elasticity,  and  rolls  upon  the  ground. 
This  body  is  no  other  than  the  larva. 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  these  larvie  feed  upon  the 
pus  which  forms  in  the  tumors  that  serve  them  as  habitations  up 
to  the  moment  of  their  transformation  ;  neither  is  there  any  that 
the  bristles  clothing  their  body  serve  to  augment  the  secretion 
of  the  pus  through  irritation  of  the  skin,  no  more  than  there  is 
doubt  that  the  animal  makes  use  of  them,  like  the  hypoderma  of 
the  ox,  for  the  execution  of  the  motions  required  for  his  escape 
from  his  foul  abode.  Once  at  liberty,  he  sets  out  in  search  of 
shelter  either  in  the  earth  or  the  dung,  and  therein,  after  having 
remained  for  ten  or  eleven  months  underneath  the  horse's  skin, 
it  changes  into  fly. 

"  The  larva  that  has  been  engaging  our  notice  is  comparative- 
ly rare  in  the  south,  but  frequently  found  in  the  northern  parts 
of  France  ;  it  is  likewise  common  in  Belgium  and  Holland,  along 
the  entire  shore  of  the  Baltic  and  the  North  Sea. 

"  Save  the  phenomena  already  detailed,  the  cuticular  larva  of 
the  horse  occasions,  according  to  M.  Loiset,  no  appreciable  mor- 
bid derangement.  Nevertheless,  about  the  period  of  its  full 
growth,  it  appears  to  occasion  some  troublesome  itchings,  which 
give  way  to  lotions  of  cold  water,  at  times  slightly  vinegared,  or 
else  to  some  of  the  means  employed  for  the  destruction  of  the 
larva  of  the  hypoderma  bovis. 

"  How  long  does  the  state  of  fly  continue  ?  "What  are  the 
habits  of  the  insect  after  it  has  arrived  at  its  final  transforma- 
tion ?  These  two  questions,  as  yet,  wait  for  answers  ;  but  it  is 
to  be  hoped  they  will  not  wait  much  longer.  We  have  for  guar- 
anty of  this  the  renowned  seal  of  MM.  the  professors  of  our 
Veterinary  School,  touching  all  that  concerns  the  interest  of 
science  of  which  those  gentlemen  are  the  worthy  representa- 
tives."—  Translated  by  Mr.  Percivall,  from  the  Journal  des  Vet' 
erinaires  du  Midi. 


418  THE    MODERN    HORSE   DOCTOR. 


MEDICINAL  PREPARATIONS  USED  IN  THE  VETERINARY 
PRACTICE. 

Compound  for  Wounds,  Saddlegalls,  fyc. 

Pulverized  aloes, 8  ounces, 

"  myrrh, 4  ounces, 

"  catechu, 4  ounces, 

"  benzoin, 4  ounces, 

New  rum, 1  gallon. 

Let  the  mixture  stand  for  two  or  three  weeks,  frequently  shaking 
it,  and  filter  through  fine  linen. 

Styptic.  —  {To  arrest  Hemorrhage.) 

Powdered  gum  benzoin, 

;;         sulphate  of  Potassa,^eacMpound) 

"Water, 5  pints. 

Mix,  and  boil  in  a  glazed  vessel,  for  five  hours,  stirring  constantly, 
and  add  fresh  quantities  of  boiling  water  to  supply  the  loss  which 
is  constantly  taking  place  by  evaporation.  This  mixture  pos- 
sesses the  property  of  coagulating  blood. 

Another. 

Tincture  of  mastic. 

Another. 

Tincture  of  muriate  of  iron. 

Physic  Ball. 

Powdered  aloes,  ......    6  drachms, 

"         gentian, 1£  drachms. 

Oil  of  peppermint, 5  drops , 

Soft  soap,  sufficient  to  form  a  bolus.  A  little  honey,  or  mucilage, 
will  also  render  the  mass  tenacious  enough  to  administer. 

Physic  Drench.  —  {Cathartic  medicine.) 

Pulverized  aloes, 6  drachms, 

Sirup  of  buckthorn,     ....     1  ounce, 
Tincture  of  ginger,      ....    1  ounce. 

Laxative  Ball. 

Powdered  aloes, 3  drachms, 

"         sulphur, 1  drachm. 

Mandrake, 2  drachms. 

To  be  formed  into  a  bolus,  with  honey  or  mucilage. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  419 


Another. 


Powdered  aloes, 3  drachms, 

"         mandrake,   ....    2  drachms, 
Soap, 4  drachms. 

Croton  Purge. 
Pulverized  croton  seed  and  farina  are  frequently  used  as  pur- 
gatives by  the  profession;   the  former  in  doses  varying  from 
fifteen  to  thirty  grains,  and  the  latter  from  twenty-five  to  forty- 
five  grains. 

Alterative  Drench. —  (To  change  morbid  action.) 

Sulphur, 1  ounce, 

Powdered  mandrake,  ....     2  drachms, 
Thin  gruel, 1  pint. 

Antispasmodic  Drench.  —  (For  spasmodic  action,  either  nervous 

or  muscular.) 

Tincture  of  assafcetida,  )       _  ,   ,  „,,„„„ 
valerian,      \'    each  1  ounce, 

Sirup  of  garlic, 3  ounces, 

Gruel, 1  pint. 

Another. —  (For  spasmodic  cough.) 

Balsam  copaiba, £  ounce, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  ....  3  drachms, 

Sulphuric  ether,       £  drachm, 

Tincture  of  musk, |  ounce. 

Half  of  the  above  quantity  to  be  given,  night  and  morning,  in 

gruel. 

Tonic  Drench.  —  (For  weakness  and  debility.) 

Port  wine, 3  ounces, 

Tincture  of  cinnamon,  .     .     .     .     £  ounce, 
Powdered  goldenseal,  ....     4  drachms. 

To  be  given  in  thin  gruel.  Should  the  bowels  be  torpid,  omit 
the  port  wine,  and  substitute  one  and  a  half  ounce  of  pale 
brandy. 

Astringent  Drench.  —  (See  Diarrhoea.) 

Diuretic  Drench. 

Fir  balsam, £  ounce, 

Sweet  spirits  of  nitre,      ...     2  drachms, 
Tincture  of  assafoetida,     ...     1  ounce. 

To  be  given  in  a  thin  mucilage  of  slippery  elm. 


420  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Nauseant  and  Diaphoretic  Drench.  —  (  To  increase  the  function 

of  cutaneous  exhalants  in  febrile  diseases.) 

Powdered  lobelia, 2  drachms, 

11         bloodroot, 1  drachm. 

To  be  given  in  warm  water,  and  repeated  at  given  intervals. 

Stimulating  Drench. 

Tincture  of  capsicum,  ^ 

"  ginger,       V each  £  an  ounce. 

"  cinnamon,  ) 

To  be  given  in  gruel. 

Narcotic  Drench.  —  (To  relieve  pain  and  induce  sleep.) 

Tincture  of  Indian  hemp, 3  drachms, 

Chloroform, h  drachm. 

To  be  given  in  warm  water.     An  infusion  of  poppies,  or  hops,  is 

a  good  anodyne. 

Sedative  Drench.  —  (To  lessen  arterial  action.) 

Tincture  of  arnica, 4  drachms, 

"Water, 1  pint. 

To  be  repeated,  gradually  lessening  the  dose. 

Cooling  and  Refrigerating  Drench.  —  (For  fevers  or  thirst.) 

Cream  of  tartar, £  ounce. 

To  be  given  in  an  infusion  of  lemon  balm. 

Phthisical  Drench.  —  (For  Phthisis  Pulmonalis.) 

Powdered  iodine, 10  grains, 

"         hydriodate  of  potassa,       ...     20  grains. 

To  be  given  daily,  in  a  decoction  of  comfrey,  (symphitium  offici- 
nalis.) 

Vermifuge  Drench. 

Aloes, 4  drachms, 

Oil  of  wormseed, 20  drops, 

Powdered  male  fern,  (asjridiumfelix  mas,)       1  ounce. 

To  be  given  in  one  pint  of  weak  soap  suds  an  hour  before  feeding. 

Parturient  Drench.  —  (  Given  to  arouse  the  uterus  in  protracted 

labor.) 
Spurred  rye,  (sccale  comutum,)     .     .     .     .     3£  drachms. 

To  be  given  in  a  decoction  of  bethroot,  (trillium  purpureum.) 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  421 

Antacid  Drench. —  (To  correct  flatulency.) 

Lime  water, 2  ounces 

Tincture  of  gentian,  >  ,    , 

ginger,    \     '     '     each  £  an  ounce. 

To  be  given  in  an  infusion  of  horsemint,  (monarda  punctata.) 

Lithontriptic  Drench.  —  (For  urinary  calcidi.) 

Lime  water, 2  ounces, 

Honey, 4  ounces, 

Infusion  of  sassafras,      ....     1  pint. 

To  be  given  daily,  for  a  fortnight  or  more. 

Saline  Aperients. 

(Either  of  the  following  is  a  dose.) 

Epsom  salts, 12  ounces. 

Glauber  salts, 12  ounces. 

Rochelle  salts, 8  ounces. 

Sulphur, 1  to  2  ounces. 

Demulcents.  —  {Intended  to  lubricate  and  sheathe  mucous  surfaces.) 

Mucilage  of  slippery  elm. 

gum  acacia,  (Arabic.) 

gum  tragacanth. 

Iceland  moss. 

benne  leaves,  (sesamum  indicum.) 

liquorice  root. 

The  mucilage  is  made  by  pouring  boiling  water  on  a  certain 
quantity  of  either  of  the  above  articles,  and  stirring  until  the 
required  consistence  is  obtained.     The  dose  is  ad  libitum. 

Discutients. —  (Medicines  that  are  supposed  to  possess  the  power 
of  repelling  or  resolving  tumors.) 

Ointment  of  iodine  and  hydriodate  of  potassa,  made  thus  :  — 

SffiSQKj-  •  •  •  ««-*«—•» 

Iodine,  )  -       ,    , 

Hydriodate  of  potassa,  J     '    of  each  1  ounce. 

Melt  the  wax  and  tallow ;  and  when  partly  cool,  rub  the  whole 
together  in  a  mortar.  This  is  an  excellent  preparation  for  en- 
larged glands,  before  they  suppurate.  The  next  best  discutients 
are,  cold  water,  diluted  acetic  acid,  soft  soap,  brine,  and  new  rum. 
In  fact,  all  refrigerants  act  as  discutients. 

Rubefacients. 
Rubefacients  are  substances  which,  when  applied  to  the  skin 
of  a  horse,  produce  increased  action  in  the  part  without  blister- 
36 


422  THE    MODLUX    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

ing  :  such  are  alcohol,  tincture  of  capsicum,  stimulating  liniments 
of  various  kinds,  strong  vinegar,  and  turpentine,  mixed  with  lin- 
seed oil.  They  are  indicated  in  all  cases  of  internal  congestion 
in  view  of  counter  irritation :  for  chronic  lameness,  and  to  soften 
indurated  and  indolent  tumors. 

Vesicants,  or  Blisters. 
The   principal  one  used   by  the    author,  and   several  times 
alluded  to  in  this  work,  is  acetate  of  cantharides,  made  as  fol- 
lows :  — 

Strong  acetic  acid, 8  ounces, 

Water, 1  quart, 

Powdered  Spanish  flies, ....     3  ounces. 

Mix ;  let  it  stand  for  fourteen  or  more  days,  and  then  filter 
through  blotting  paper.  Used  in  cases  of  spavin,  splent,  ringbone, 
and  callous  swellings.  The  usual  vesicant  is  the  common  horse 
blister,  thus  prepared  :  — 

Take  lard,  free  from  salt,  twelve  ounces  ;  melt  it  in  an  earthen 
vessel  with  two  ounces  of  rosin,  —  taking  care  not  to  raise  the 
temperature  above  that  of  a  man's  blood,  —  then  add  powdered 
Spanish  flies,  two  ounces  ;  oil  of  origanum,  one  ounce  :  stir  until 
oool. 

The  part  to  be  blistered  should  be  shaved,  and  then  rubbed  for 
a  few  minutes  with  strong  vinegar ;  after  wiping  the  part  dry, 
spread  on  the  blister  to  about  the  thickness  of  a  dollar.  If  it  be 
necessary  to  keep  up  the  vesicatory  action,  let  it  be  dressed 
daily  with  savin  ointment. 

Antiseptics. 
Antiseptics  are  remedies  which  arrest  decomposition  and  ex- 
cite the  healing  process  in  wounds ;  among  them  we  name  pyro- 
ligneous  acid,  salt,  charcoal,  chloride  of  lime  and  of  soda. 

Emollients. 
The  best  emollient   for   softening   and   lubricating  a  part  is 
poultice  of  slippery  elm  ;  the  next  best  is  tepid  water. 

Digestives. 

Digestives  are  used  for  the  purpose  of  hastening  suppuration ; 
we  have  used  a  great  many,  but  find  none  equal  to,  — 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  423 

Bar  soap,  2  ounces, 

Brown  sugar, 2  ounces, 

Powdered  bloodroot, \  ounce. 

Mix  ;  and  apply  by  means  of  bandage. 

Fomentations. 
Fomentations  are  indicated  in  all  inflammatory  swellings, 
strains,  and  bruises,  and  are  occasionally  applied  over  the  region 
of  deep-seated  inflammatory  disease  —  located  in  the  intestines, 
kidneys,  throat,  &c.  The  usual  fomentations  are  composed  of 
■warm  water,  infusion  of  poppies,  hops,  and  lobelia.  They  must 
be  perseveringly  applied,  or  they  are  of  little  use. 

Common  Horse  Liniment. 

Olive  oil, 12  ounces, 

Aqua  ammonia, 2  ounces, 

Oil  of  cedar, 1  ounce. 

Mix. 

Sirup  of  Garlic. 

Take  of  bruised  garlic,  four  ounces  ;  acetic  acid  and  water,  of 
each  six  ounces.  Let  the  garlic  macerate  for  five  days  ;  express 
the  liquor  and  strain  it ;  then  add  two  pounds  of  white  Havana 
sugar ;  boil  over  a  slow  fire  until  it  is  of  the  consistence  of  sirup. 
Dose,  two  to  four  ounces.     It  is  an  excellent  antispasmodic. 

Tincture  of  Assafcetida. 
Take  gum    assafcetida,  six  ounces;   pale  brandy,  one  quart. 
Macerate  for  two  weeks,  and  filter  through  fine  linen.     This  is 
also  an  efficient  antispasmodic.     Dose,  three  to  eight  drachms, 
to  be  given  in  thin  mucilage  or  gruel. 

Tincture  of  Capsicum. 

Take  of  powdered  red  peppers,  two  ounces ;  new  rum,  one 
quart.  Macerate  for  fourteen  days,  and  filter  through  blotting 
paper. 

Tincture  of  Arnica. 

Take  of  arnica  flowers,  (imported  from  Germany,)  four  ounces  ; 
new  rum,  one  pint.  Macerate  for  fourteen  days ;  express  the 
liquor,  and  filter  through  blotting  paper.  This  remedy,  in  the 
proportion  of  one  ounce  to  a  pint  of  water,  forms  a  good  applica- 
tion for  wounds,  bruises,  saddle  galls,  &c.     The  author  has  used 


424  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

it  with  great  success  in  amaurosis  and  other  diseases  of  the  eye 
of  a  paralytic  character.  Given  to  a  horse  laboring  under  in- 
flammatory affections,  in  the  proportion  of  twenty  drops,  diluted 
with  water,  it  acts  as  a  sedative,  and  lessens  the  heart's  action  ; 
in  view  of  producing  effect,  however,  the  dose  must  be  repeated 
at  intervals  of  four  hours.     It  is  useful  also  in  ophthalmia. 

Tincture  of  Ginger. 
Take  powdered  Jamaica  ginger,  five  ounces  ;  pale  brandy,  one 
quart.    Macerate  for  fourteen  days,  and  filter.     Properties,  stimu- 
lant and  carminative.     Dose,  one  to  two  ounces,  in  gruel. 

Tincture  of  Cinnamon. 
Take   bruised   cinnamon,  four  ounces ;   new  rum,  one   pint. 
Macerate  for  fourteen  days,  and  filter.     Dose,  one  ounce. 

Compound  Tincture  of  Gentian. 
Take  gentian  root,  two  ounces  ;  orange  peel,  dried,  one  ounce  ; 
cardamom  seeds,  bruised,  half  an  ounce  ;  proof  spirit,  two  pints. 
Macerate  for  fourteen  days,  and  filter.     Professor  Morton  recom- 
mends this  as  a  grateful  bitter.     Dose,  from  one  to  two  ounces. 

Composition  for  Colic. 

Powdered  cinnamon,       ") 
"         ginger, 

"  cloves,  >    .     .     .     equal  parts. 

"  charcoal, 

"  slippery  elm,  J 

Dose,  a  table-spoonful,  to  which  add  one  quart  of  boiling  water. 

Let  it  stand  for  a  short  time,  then  pour  off  the  clear  liquor  ; 

sweeten  with  honey,  and  drench  the  subject. 

Basilicon  Ointment. 
This  is  a  very  good  digestive,  and  is  prepared  as  follows : 
Take  lard,  free  from  -salt,  beeswax,  Canada  balsam,  and  resin, 
equal  parts.     Melt  over  a  slow  fire,  and,  while  cooling,  stir  con- 
stantly. 

Liniment  of  Turpentine. 

Take  oil  of  turpentine,  olive  oil,  of  each  equal  parts.  Mix. 
This  is  recommended  by  Professor  Morton  as  a  useful  digestive, 
or  rubefacient. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  425 

Caraway  Seeds. 

The  most  valuable  remedy,  and  one  which  we  invariably  re- 
sort to  for  the  correction  of  flatulency,  or  for  the  expulsion  of 
wind  from  the  stomach  and  bowels,  is  the  above.  As  a  carmi- 
native, caraways  stand  unrivalled;  they  also  possess  antispas- 
modic properties,  to  which,  in  the  treatment  of  spasmodic  colic, 
their  efficiency  has  justly  been  ascribed.  If  they  were  brought 
into  general  use,  to  the  exclusion  of  turpentine,  gin  and  molasses, 
saleratus,  &c,  &c,  so  extensively  used  in  this  city,  we  should 
not  hear  of  so  many  cases  terminating  fatally.  Scarcely  a  week 
passes  but  we  hear  of  valuable  horses  dying  from  diseases  su- 
pervening on  maltreated  colic.  In  a  recent  case  of  spasmodic 
colic  that  came  under  our  observation,  the  subject,  a  stud,  valued 
at  $175,  was  drenched  with  half  a  pint  of  vinegar  and  two 
ounces  of  saleratus !  The  death  of  so  valuable  an  animal  has 
probably  taught  its  owner  a  lesson  not  to  be  forgotten.  If  a 
man  should  be  suddenly  attacked  with  colic,  would  he  be  so  in- 
sane as  to  swill  down  medicines  which  his  own  common  sense 
would  seem  to  teach  are  opposed  to  the  cure?  Would  he  not 
rather  try  a  little  peppermint  water,  ginger  tea,  or  caraway  ? 
And  if  so,  why  not  give  the  same  to  his  horse,  when  similarly 
afflicted  ?  The  diseases  of  the  latter  require  the  same  sanative 
treatment  for  their  cure. 

There  is  not  a  more  effectual  or  innocent  agent  in  the  whole 
materia  medica,  for  the  treatment  of  colic,  than  caraways.  And 
this  our  opinion  is  confirmed  by  that  of  various  eminent  veteri- 
nary practitioners.  The  only  objection  to  their  use  is,  that  they 
are  innocent  —  simple.  "  The  horse  wants  something  power- 
ful;" he  often  gets  it  too;  the  remedy  lessens  not  the  disease, 
for  that  is  only  aggravated  —  augmented ;  the  vital  flame,  the 
living  principle,  goes  out,  and  the  animal  dies  a  victim  to  our 
misguided  notions. 

Caraways  should  be  powdered  and  given  in  warm  water,  in 
doses  of  half  a  table-spoonful,  and  repeated  as  occasion  may  re- 
quire. Horses  which,  in  consequence  of  deranged  digestive 
organs,  are  the  frequent  subjects  of  colic,  may  be  benefited  by  a 
weekly  dose  of  the  article  in  their  food. 
36* 


42G  THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 

Hydrastus  Canadensis,  (  Goldenseal.) 
This  article  has  lately  been  introduced  into  our  materia  medica. 
It  is  a  valuable  tonic  and  alterative,  and  as  all  bitter  medicines 
are  supposed  to  be  laxative,  that  property  may  with  propriety 
alio  be  added.  This  agent  may  be  used  with  safety  whenever 
the  nature  of  the  case  requires  that  these  indications  are  to  be 
fulfilled.  Dr.  McCann  has  contributed  an  article  to  the  New 
Jersey  Medical  Reporter,  (November  number,)  in  favor  of  this 
valuable  article.  He  "  was  led  to  the  use  of  goldenseal  by  no- 
ticing its  well-known  sanative  properties  over  inflammations  of 
the  mucous  surfaces,  such  as  aphthae  of  the  mouth,  &c.  I  hope 
that  some  of  the  profession  will  give  the  article  a  fair  trial." 

Goldenseal  possesses  all  the  tonic  properties  attributed  to  gen- 
tian ;  it  is  superior  to  that  article,  however,  inasmuch  as  its  ther- 
apeutic action  is  susceptible  of  wider  range.  It  may  be  used  in 
cases  of  local  inflammation,  when  the  latter  article,  in  conse- 
quence of  its  stimulating  effect,  would  be  positively  injurious. 
There  is  no  agent  in  the  materia  medica  that  admits  of  a  wider 
range  of  application  than  the  one  under  consideration.  As  an 
alterative  it  ranks  higher,  in  our  estimation,  than  any  single 
medicine  ever  used,  and  we  feel  confident  that  the  veterinary 
profession  will,  in  subsequent  years,  give  this  article  a  decided 
preference  to  the  mineral  alteratives.  It  acts  very  gradually  on 
the  system  of  a  horse,  improving  the  depraved  secretions  and 
excretions,  especially  in  those  broken-down  states  of  constitu- 
tion supervening  on  hard  work,  bad  management,  and  in  that 
prostrated  state  of  the  system  which  sometimes  follows  the  im- 
prudent use  of  the  fleam,  antimony,  arsenic,  nitre,  &c,  &c.  Its 
mode  of  action  is  less  evident  than  its  ultimate  effects  :  it  changes 
existing  morbid  actions,  without  any  apparent  influence  over  any 
particular  function.  Its  manifest  general  effect  is,  to  invigorate 
the  system  as  a  whole,  and  thus  aid  in  removing  disease  wherev- 
er it  may  be  located.  The  complaints  for  which  we  have  gen- 
erally prescribed  it  are  acute  and  chronic  diseases  of  the  liver, 
and  diseases  of  the  mucous  surfaces,  in  doses  of  from  one  to  three 
drachms  every  twelve  hours.  In  ophthalmia  it  may  be  used 
with  decided  advantage  as  a  local  application,  in  the  proportion 
of  half  a  drachm  of  the  powder  to  half  a  pint  of  boiling  water. 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR.  427 

When  cool,  the  clear  liquor  is  to  be  poured  off;  it  is  then  fit  for 
use.  Let  it  be  understood  that  we  merely  refer  to  the  agent  as 
a  local  remedy.  There  are  other  conditions  which  require  ful- 
filment well  known  to  the  profession,  and  witnout  attention  to 
which  no  case  of  ophthalmia  could  ever  be  brought  to  a  favor- 
able termination.  The  conditions  alluded  to  may  be  thus  ex- 
pressed :  Keep  the  bowels  regular  ;  confine  the  animal  to  a  light 
diet ;  keep  the  head  cool,  and  feet  warm ;  ventilate  the  stable, 
and  confine  the  horse  to  a  dark  corner. 

Goldenseal,  combined  with  an  equal  quantity  of  charcoal,  in 
the  proportion  of  two  drachms  night  and  morning,  is  of  great 
value  in  dysentery,  flux,  and  scouring,  especially  when  there  is  a 
tendency  to  putrescence.  The  powdered  root  has  been  used 
with  decided  advantage,  as  an  injection,  in  diarrhoea,  and  in  fall- 
ing of  the  fundament  and  womb.  It  has  long  been  employed  in 
human  practice,  in  ardor  urinse,  gleet,  gonorrhoea,  leucorrhcea, 
&c.  Dr.  McCann  states,  that  "  the  ardor  urinae,  and  discharges 
of  mucus,  have  been  entirely  suspended,  in  every  case,  in  from 
twenty-four  to  seventy-two  hours.  It  is  a  perfect  and  perma- 
nent eradicator  of  the  disorder." 

In  fetid  discharges  from  the  vagina  or  anus,  we  have  em- 
ployed it  with  decided  advantage.  The  dry  powder  has  been 
found  highly  useful  alone,  (although  we  prefer  to  add  to  it  a 
small  quantity  of  charcoal,)  in  obstinate  ulcers  and  old  sores. 

Goldenseal  belongs  to  the  class  Polyandria,  order  Polygynia, 
natural  order  Ranunculaceae.  It  is  an  indigenous  plant,  grow- 
ing in  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  but  most  abundantly 
beyond  the  Alleghanies.  It  has  a  perennial  root,  and  an  herba- 
ceous stem,  from  five  to  twelve  inches  in  height,  two  unequal 
le'aves,  and  a  single  flesh-colored  flower.  The  root  is  tortuous, 
and  from  which  arise  numerous  long  fibres,  of  a  bright-yellow 
color. 


k^,'/^  POSOLOGICAL  TABLE 

FOR  THE  HORSE; 


WITH  THE 


ACTION  OF   THE   MEDICINAL   SUBSTANCES.* 


Acacise  Gummi 

Acid  Aceticum 

Arseniosum  ... 

Hydrochloric . . 

Hydrocy.  dil. . . 

Nitricum 

Sulphuric 

Adeps 

Aloes  Extract 

Alumen 

Ustum 

Ammonia,  Hydroch. 

Liquor  

Liq.  Acet 

Sesqui-car 

Spt.  Arom 

Anthemides  Flores.. 
Antim.  Potass.  Tart. 

Sesqui  Chlo.... 

Sesqui  Sulph.. . 

Argenti  Nitras 

^Ether  Sulphuricus.. 
Belladon.  Extract . . . 

Calx  Chlorinata 

Camphora 

Cantharis 

Capsici  Baccsc 

Carui  Semina 

Cascar.  Cortex 

Catechu  Ext 

Colchicum   


Internally. 
Demulcent,. .. 

Astringent, . .. 


Tonic, 

(  Lithontriptic,  .  ) 

I  Tonic, ) 

Sedative, 


Tonic, . 


f  Alterative,.... 
<  Nauseant,  .... 
C  Purgative, .... 
Astringent, 


Antacid, 

(  Stimulant,....  ) 
?  Antacid, ) 

Diaphoretic, 

Stimulant, 

{  Stimulant,....  ) 
(  Antacid, ) 

Tonic, 

(  Nauseant,  ....  > 
(  Diaphoretic,  . .  ) 


Aterative, 


Antispasmodic, 

Narcotic, 

Antiseptic,  . .. 

Narcotic, 

(  Stimulant, . . , 
(  Diuretic, 
Carminative, .. 
Carminative,.. 

Tonic, , 

Astringent,.  .. 


C  Diuretic, ^ 

<  Diaphoretic,  . .  > 
C  Laxative, ) 


Externally. 

C  Antiseptic,  . 
(  Rubefacient, 

Caustic, 

(  Antiseptic,  . 
{  Caustic,  .... 

Sedative, 

Caustic, 

Caustic, 

Emollient, 


Traumatic, 

Astringent, 
Erodent,  .. 
Discutient, 

Stimulant, . , 

Discutient, 


Vesicant, 

Caustic,  .. 


Caustic,  ... 
Refrigerant, 
Sedative,  ... 
Antiseptic,  . 
Discutient,  . 

Vesicant,  . . , 


ad  lib. 

grs.  x.  to  xx. 
f  gij.  to  Siij. 
f  Sss.  to  3j. 

3j.  to  3ij. 

5j.  to  3ij. 

3  iv,  to  3  viij. 
3ij.  to  3iv. 


f3ss.  tofSj. 
fSiv.  to  f  3  viij. 
3ij.  to  3iv. 

f  3  ss.  to  3j. 
3  ij.  to  3  iv. 
3ss.  to  3j. 

3  ij.  to  3  ss. 

fSiv.  to  3vj. 
S  ij-  to  3iv.^s 
3  ij.  to  3iv. 
3j.  to  3 ij- 
gr.  v.  to  x. 

gr.  x.  to  xx. 
'Sss.  to  3j. 
3  ij-  to  3iv. 
3j.  to  3 ij- 

3j.  to  3  ij. 


1W 


Morton's  Manual  of  Pharmacv. 


(428) 


THE    MODERN    HOUSE    DOCTOR. 


429 


Copaiba 

Creasoton 

Cretae  Prepar , 

Croton  Semina , 

Oleum , 

Farina , 

Cupri  Amnion.  Sulph 

Diacetas , 

Diniodidum  ... 

Sulphas , 

Digitalis 

Ferri  Iodidum , 

Sulphas , 

Gallae , 

Gentiana?  Rad , 

Tincture , 

Helleboris  Nig , 

Hydrarg.  Bichlorid. . 

-  Chlorid , 

Biniodid , 

Nitratis , 

Oxydum 

Hyosciami  Ext , 

Iodinium , 

Lini  Semina , 

*•  Oleum , 

Magnesia?  Sulph. . . . , 

Myrrha , 

Oleum  Olivse , 

Palmas , 

Rapi , 

Opium , 

Tinctura , 

Petroleum   , 

Pimenta  Baccse.... 

Pix  Abietina 

Liquida 

Nigra    

Plumbi  Acetas 

Diacetas 

Potassa 

Potassse  Carbonas.. 

Chloras 

Nitras 


Internally. 
Diuretic,  . . . . , 

(  Antiseptic,  . 

t  Tonic, 

Antacid, 

Purgative, 
Purgative, 
Purgative, 
Tonic, 

Tonic 


(  Alterative, . 

}  Tonic, 

X  Astringent, 

/  Tonic, 

(  Narcotic,  . . 
(  Diuretic,  . . 
5  Alterative,. 

?  Tonic, 

(  Astringent, 

I  Tonic, 

Astringent,  .. 

Tonic, 

Tonic, 


Alterative, . . . , 
(  Alterative, . . 
/  Cathartic,  .. 


Alterative, 

Narcot.&  Anodyne, 
(  Glandular    ex-  ) 

2      citant, ) 

Demulcent, 

Laxative, 

(  Laxative ? 

?  Diuretic, ) 

C  Antiseptic,  . . .  ) 

I  Tonic, 5 

Demulcent, 


Externally. 


(  Narcotic      and ) 
(  Antispasmodic, ) 

Stimulant, 

(  Stimulant,....  ) 
?  Tonic, S 


Sedative,  . . . 
Astringent, 


(  Antacid,.. 
(  Diuretic,  . 
Stimulant  ?  . 
(  Febrifuge, 
/  Diuretic,.. 


(  Caustic,  .. 
(  Antiseptic, 
Absorbent,  . 
Irritant,  .... 


(  Erodent,... 
(  Detergent, 

Detergent,... 

(  Erodent,  . . 
/  Excitant,.  . 


-      \ 


Astringent, 


Excitant, 
Caustic,  . 


(  Stimulant,..., 
}  Detergent,.... 
Detersjent 


Sedative, 

<  Glandular    3x- 
/      citant, 


Emollient, 


Traumatic, 

Emollient,. 
Emollient, . 
Emollient, . 

Anodyne,. . 
Stimulant, 


Rubefacient, 
Rubefacient, 
Rubefacient, 

Sedative, 

Sedative, 
Caustic, 


Refrigerant,  ..  ) 
Antiseptic,  . . .  > 


Sss.  to  5j. 
f  3ss.  to  3j.  ? 

3ij.  to  5  iv. 
gr.  xij.  to  xxiv. 
gtt.  xx.  to  xxx. 
gr.  xx.  to  lx. 

Sj.  to  Sij. 

3j.  to  5ij. 

Sj.to  Sij- 

3j.  to  Sj. 

gr.  xx.  to  lx. 
Sj.to  3ij- 
3ss.  to  5j. 

Sij.  to  Siv. 

3  ij.  to  3  iv. 
Sij.  to  3iv. 
f  5ss.  to  3j. 

gr.  v.  to  x. 
gr.  x.  to  xx. 

3  ss.  to  3  ij. 


3  j.  to  3iss. 

3j.  to  3ij.-  3(P#™ 

gr.  v.  to  x. 

ad  lib. 
Oj.  to  Oij. 

ftss.  to  Tbj. 

S  ij.  to  3iv. 
Oj.  to  Oij. 

3j.to~3ij.  V 
fjss.  to  Sij.. 


sij.  to  Sir, 
Sij.  to  3iv. 


3ss.  to  Sj. 


3  ij.  to  3  iv. 
Sj.  to  S  ij- 
Sij.  to  3iv. 


430 


THE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


Potassii  Iodidum... 
Quinae  Disulphas... 

Resina 

Sabina 

Sapo 

Secale  Cornutum. . . 
Soda?  Carbonas 

Chlorinat.  liq. 

Sulphas , 

Sodii  Chloridum  . . . , 
Spirit.  Etheris  Nit.  ., 

Rectificatus  . . . 

Strychnia 

Sulphur 

Terebinthinae  Vulg.. 

Terebinthinae  Oleum 

Veratrum  Album.... 
Zinci  Acetas 

Carbonas 

Chloridum  .... 

Oxydum 

Sulphas 

Zingiberis  Radix.... 
— —   Tinct 


Internally. 
Glandular  excitant. 

Tonic, 

Diuretic 


{  Antacid, 

jf  Diuretic, 

Parturient, , 

{  Antacid, 

(  Diuretic, 

Antiseptic, 

Diuretic 

{  Tonic, 

(  Alterative,.... 
C  Antispasmod., 

<  Diuretic, 

C  Diaphoretic, . . 
(  Stimulant,.... 
(  Antispasmod., 

C  Stimulant      to ' 

<  the  Motor ' 
C  Nerves,....  . 
(  Laxative, 

j>  Alterative,.... 
Diuretic 

(  Diuretic, 

{  Antispasmod., 
Nauseant,  ....... 


(  Astringent, . . . 

I  Tonic 

Carminative, 

(  Carminative  & 
(  Antispasmod., 


Externally. 
Glandular  excitant, 


Calefacient, 
Irritant,  ... 

Stimulant,.. 


Antiseptic, 
Stimulant, 


Refrigerant,. 


Digestive,  ... 

(  Irritant,  ... 

(  Digestive,  ., 
Stimulant, 
Astringent,. .. 
Astringent, . . . 

Caustic, , 

Astringent, .  . . 

{  Erodent,  . . . 

(  Astringent, 


gr.  xx.  to  xxx. 

3  ss.  to  3  j. 
3ss.  to  3j. 

3ss.  to  Bij. 

3  ij.  to  3  iv. 

3  ij.  to  3  iv. 

f  3ss.  to  3  ij. 
ftss.  to  Ibj. 

oj.  togiv. 
fgj.to  Sij. 
fSj.to  Sij. 

gr.  j.  to  iij. 

Sj.  to  Sij. 
3ss.  to  5j. 
f  3  i j  -  to  3iv. 
f  5  iij.  to  Svj. 
gr.  xx.  to  xx. 


3j  to  3  ij. 
3  ij-  to  3iv. 
fSss.  to  fjij. 


HIE    MODERN    HORSE    DOCTOR. 


431 


ABSTRACT  FRO)!  THE  SEVENTH  CENSUS. 

A  Table  of  the  Number  and  Value  of  Live  Stock  in  the  United  States. 


tO  tO  OS        AUM  i-"-"        I-"        1-1  tO 

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cncooco^ioscsto  —  .&.— 


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^Jcnto-Joototo^ios 


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*to*uio-'C»ooc!H-oi-4.noiao5Uii-*.o-Jtow*.ai^^ooa;to--j^M 


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"to  ".*>."—  -.t"on  io"o"—  "to  "oo"o»."o;Vi"o  to  oo"    ._ 

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■  CO  =  CO  to  to  os  to  in  OS  { 

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>  en  ©  ^"^  "k?  "Vo* "fa "os"co "o"x  co"^" 


—      to  J— 

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to  to  r.  in  -i  a  oo  —  oo  in 

IJ^J*  jpjiOjUjfe  JXjfr-jU^"- 

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CO  in  —  =  in  —  O  in  00  —  X  tO  in  (i  in  ^J 
in  —  co  .*».  o  tO  CO  ~J  00  —  —  os  —  to  —.  "J 


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—  to"~j"* 
jo  jo 

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-  -  •  -j  -j  j-  ;o  —  -J  £  ~4  -^~.  so  ciJ  — 

OCJ>tWOO»iOUOvlA 


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co  to  en  cs  in  *.  —  —  —   •„-  -j  , i  _  -o  x  in  ;o  o  —  iO  r.  s  o>  x  r.  to  —  os  co  j». 


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CO  ^1  CO  CO  CO  in  —  —  O.  OS  ti  ti  tO  tO  O.  -J  00 


"  According  to  the  British  Government  Returns  for  1850,  the  total  number  of  horses  throughout  the 
country  was  839*230.  The  increase  and  decrease  in  the  number  of  carriages  and  horses  within  the  last  ten 
years  is  a  remarkable  sign  of  the  times.  Since  1840,  the  number  of  all  kinds  of  horses  throughout  Great 
Britain  has  decreased  43,000.  But  while  some  have  declined,  others  have  increased  in  number.  Of  pri- 
vate ri  iing  and  carriage  horses  (where  one  only  is  kept)  there  has  been  a  decrease  of  12,000.  and  of  ponies 
riK.).  Stage-coach  horses  hnve  declined  4000;  post  horses,  2500;  horses  used  in  husbandry, 57,000;  breeding 
mares,  1300;  colts, 7000;  and  horses  kept  for  sale,  500.  The  London  hackney-coach  horses,  on  the  other 
hand,  have  increased,  in  the  same  space  of  time,  no  less  than  2000,  and  so  have  the  draught  horses  used  in 
trade  to  the  extent  of  17,000;  while  those  kept  by  small  farmers  are  13,000  more,  and  the  race  horses  40(1 
more  than  they  were  in  1840." 


432 


THE  MODERN  HORSE  DOCTOR. 


O 

DD 

S 
c 

=5 


No. 

f  Frontal, 1 

Parietal,  2 

Bones  of  the  crani-  J  Occipital, 1 

2 

.".".".""H.*."rI!.,."I""!I.*».".*«!  2 


urn,  or  skull, ]  Temporal, 

Ethmoid, 


WE- 
Z 

o 


o  . 

fc.02 

a 

63- 
tEfcH 

^S 

c£ 

Z 

o 

- 


"I 

Z 

o 


Bones  of  the  face, 


Dentes,  or  teeth,.. 
Bone  of  the  tongue, 
Bones  of  the  Ear, 


Spine, 


fv 


ertebrae, 


[  Sphenoid, 

f  Nasal, 

Ungius, 2 

Malarum, 2 

Maxillaria,  superior  and  anterior, 4 

Palatine, 2 

Turbinated  bones, 4 

Vomer, 1 

Posterior  maxilla, 1 

b  Lacrymal, . 2 

(  Cuspidata,  or  canine, 4 

?Molares, 24 

(  Incisores, 12 

Hyoides, 1 

Malleus, .2 

Incus,  2 

Stapes, 2 

Orbiculare, 2 

Cervical , 7 

Dorsal,  13 

L  Lumbar, 5 

I  Sacrum,* 1 

Tail,...Coccygis,  or  bones  of  the  tail, 15 

(  Sternum,  composed  at  birth  of  a  number  of  pieces,    1 
Thorax, )  True  ribs, 14 

(False  do., 22 

Pelvis,  Ossa  innominata,t 2 

' Shoulder, Scapula, 2 

Arm, Humerus, 2 

Fore  Arm, Radius,  (and  ulna,  connected  with  the  former,). .  4 

C  Os  schapoides,  (one  to  each  knee,) 2 

Os  lunare  "  "  2 

|  Os  cuneiforme,         "  "  2 

I  Os  trapezium,  "  *■'  

Os  trapezoides,         "  "  

Os  unciforme,  "  "  

Os  magnum,  "  "  

Os  pisiforme,  "  "  

Metacarpi  magnum, 

Splents, 

Sessamoides, 

^  Suffraginis,  (large  pastern,) 

Os  coronse,  (small     do.,    ) 

Os  naviculare, 2 

Os  ped  is, 2 

Femur, 2 

Patella, 2 

Tibia, 2 

Fibula, 2 


Bones  of  the  knee, 


Below  the  knee, 


r  Thigh, 
Stifle,  . 

Leg,  .. 


Bones  of  the  hock, 


Below  the  knee, 


f  Astragalus, 2 

Os  calcis, 2 

j  Os  cuboides, 2 

]  Os  cuneiforme  magnum, 2 

Internal  medium, 2 

External      do., 2 

'  Metatarsi,  (or  canons,) 2 

Splents, 4 

Os  suffraginis, 2 

Os  coronse 2 

Os  sessamoides, 4 

Os  naviculare, 2 

L  Os  pedis, 2 

242 


Total, 

Dr.  Hooper  reckons  the  number  of  bones  in  the  human  subject  at  248. 


*  The  bones  in  the  sacrum  of  the  colt  consist  of  five  pieces. 

t  The  pelvis  of  the  young  animal  is  made  up  of  the  two  ossa  innominata,  each  of  which  is 
formed  of  two  pieces  ;  the  larger  is  called  os  ileum,  the  smaller,  in  allusion  to  the  human 
pelvis,  has  been  subdivided  Into  two  portions,  named  os  fachhim  and  os  pubis. 


iseases  of  the  Horse— Causes  and  Reme- 
dies.—No.   22. 


DISTEMPER. 


This  disease,  in  many  respects,  resembles- 
trangles,  or  coil's  distemper,  yet  it  is  a  Tast- 
y  different  disease.    It  is  one  of  more  seri- 
-us  consequences  really  than  strangles,  as  it 
•  more  apt  to  attack  animals  which  never 
ally  get  over  colt's  distemper.    The  chief 
fstinctlve  difference  in  taking  the  true  diag- 
nosis is,  there  is  never  the  inflammatory  dis- 
organization    which    always    accompanies* 
^Strangles  to  a  more  or  less  degree  ;  second, 
Worses  of  all  ages  are  liable  to  its  atack,  at 
ny  season  of  the  year,  especially  in  the  sum- 
mer time,  during  moist,  muggy  weather. 
'    The  horse,  like  his  companion  in  strangles, 
is  mopish;  likes  to  be  by  himself;  is  disin- 
clined to  eat ;  drinks  only  a  little  at  a  time, 
out  often,     lie  is  cold  about  the  muzzle  and 
throat ;  hot  between  the  eyes  (for  there  is  lo- 
cated this  pestiferous  malady) ;  ears  cold  and 
partially  pendulous;  eyes  sunken,  languid 
and  watery  ;  runs  from  one  or  both  nostrils, 
sometimes    alternating    left   for    the  right. 
The  matter  is  not  thick,  like  that  from  stran- 
gles, but  greasy,  inclining  to  a  greenish  tint. 
These  constitute  the  guiding  s3miptoms  in 
discriminating  between  the  two  diseases.    If 
not   attended  to  properly  and  speedily,  it 
very  soon  assumes  a   chronic  form,  in  the 
shape  of  ozena  or  nasal  gleet,  or  that  worst 
of  all  diseases— glanders. 

Many  horses,  from  the  effects  of  this  dis- 
temper, from  being  neglected  and  badly  cared  , 
for,  are  attacked  with  phthisis  pulmonalis  ' 
(wasting  of  the  frame)  and  dwindle  down  to 
mere  skeletons  and  of  course  are  quite  worth- 
less to  any  one,  and  should  be  destroyed. 
The  inhuman  practice  cf  turning  such  and 
similar  useless  animals  out  to  die,  as  many 
pers^is  do,  is  very  wicked,  very  wrong,  and 
such  persons  should  be  punished  tor  such  a 
crime.  I  have  known  several  professed 
Christians,  here  in  my  own  city,  guilty  of 
this  barbarous,  disgraceful  act. 

Treatment. — Keep  clean  and  warm ;  feed 
generously  whatever  the  horse  will  eat ;  give 
daily  two  drachms  of  sulphate  of  copper  pul- 
verized, and  two  drachms  of  the  very  best 
ground  ginger;  mix  with  honey  or  sirup 
into  a  ball,  and  give  upon  an  empty  stom- 
ach ;  do  this  for  four  mornings;  then  omit 
two  mornings,  and  give  one  drachm  for  three 
mornings,  mixed  as  before.    Now  procure 


caraway  secus  one  ywuuu,  ucav  siusci  xiaiL  «• 
pound,  make  an  infusion,— don't  boil— with 
three  quarts  water  ;  give  in  seven  or  eight 
doses,  one  each  morning,  and  usually  thr 
ipatient  by  this  treatment,  will  fast  recover 
his  true  and  general  health. 

I  know  of  no  beiter,  safer,  or  cheaper 
treatment,  or  one  more  easy  to  manage.  As 
Ian  adjunct,  rub  the  throat  and  between  the 
laws,  with  aqua  ammonia  two  parts,  rain 
water  four  parts,  oil  of  organum  two  parts. 
This  is  a  good,  stimulating  and  very  useful 
liniment.  Veterinarian. 


H^i^ffTOTOHM^Hnnnmnfnunyi  me 


i 


IK 


